BEIJING, October 29. /TASS/. Books about Russian President Vladimir Putin have become very popular in China in the run-up to the APEC summit due in Beijing in the second half of November, the China daily said in Wednesday's issue.

Dozens of books about Vladimir Putin by Chinese authors or books translated from other languages can be found at the biggest bookshop in the center of Beijing. The main reason of the astonishing popularity of the Russian president is "cordial relations" between China and Russia, the newspaper said.

More than 250,000 books by Chinese writer Zheng Wenyang, the 30-year-old author of "He is Born for Russia," have already been sold out. Putin has become an icon of popularity for many in China thanks to his resolute position in the relations with the West, the newspaper said, citing an expert for studies of Russia from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

A new book containing texts of Vladimir Putin's statements at public events, including his interviews to journalists and his answers at "question and answer" conferences has been published in China this year.

A similar book of Vladimir Putin's public declarations had earlier been published by Shehui Kexue Chubanshe publishers.