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BEIJING: When Russian President Vladimir Putin walked alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, a microphone picked up a private discussion about organ transplants and extending human lifespan up to 150 years.
The interaction occurred as Putin and Xi strolled with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, leading a group of over two dozen international leaders to observe a military parade in Beijing celebrating the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The moment was broadcast live via CCTV, which shared the coverage with other media outlets like AP and Reuters. China’s Radio and TV Administration announced that CCTV’s coverage was watched online 1.9 billion times and on TV by more than 400 million viewers.
As Putin and Xi approached the Tiananmen rostrum to watch the parade alongside Kim, Putin’s translator was heard saying in Chinese, “Biotechnology keeps advancing.”
The translator continued in an inaudible segment: “Human organs can be transplanted repeatedly. The more you live, the more youthful you become, potentially even achieving immortality.”
Meanwhile, Xi, off-camera, responded in Chinese: “Some believe humans might live up to 150 years this century.”
Kim appeared to smile and gaze toward Putin and Xi, though it’s unclear if he understood the conversation. Putin’s speech in Russian wasn’t clearly audible in the CCTV clip.
Later, Putin confirmed that he and Xi discussed this topic on Wednesday.
“I believe the Chairman mentioned it during the parade,” Putin told reporters in Beijing when asked about the leaked conversation.
“Modern health technology, medical procedures, even surgical organ replacements, give humanity hope for a longer, more active life beyond current limits,” he added.
Neither China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor CCTV responded immediately to Reuters’ requests for comment.
As Xi began speaking, the video shifted to a wide view of Tiananmen Square with the sound fading out.
About 30 seconds later, Xi, Putin, and Kim reappeared walking toward the parade’s viewing platform.
At the event, Xi addressed a crowd of over 50,000 people, emphasizing the choice between “peace or war” as he inspected troops and advanced weaponry, including hypersonic missiles and naval drones.
Putin arrived in China on Sunday for a summit hosted by Beijing, gathering more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the summit, Putin and Xi signed over 20 agreements covering energy and artificial intelligence, and planned a new major gas pipeline — though key details about funding and gas prices were not disclosed.
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