Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping were caught discussing organ transplants and the possibility of achieving immortality during an extraordinary hot mic moment at China’s largest-ever military parade on Wednesday.
The bloodcurdling exchange between the Russian and Chinese leaders was captured on a CCTV livestream as they walked with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un towards Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The broadcast, which was viewed by 1.9 billion people online and 400 million on television, inadvertently revealed the world leaders’ unguarded conversation about biotechnology and human longevity.
As the three despots walked at the head of a delegation of more than two dozen foreign leaders, Putin’s translator could be heard saying in Chinese: “Biotechnology is continuously developing.” After an inaudible passage, the translator added: “Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and you can even achieve immortality.”
Xi, 72, responded off camera in Chinese: “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.”
The Chinese president had earlier remarked to Putin: “Earlier, people rarely lived to 70, but these days at 70 years you are still a child.”
Kim Jong-un, 41, remained silent during the exchange but was seen listening intently and smiling as he looked in the direction of Putin and Xi. It was unclear whether the conversation was being translated for the North Korean leader.
The unprecedented moment marked the first time the three authoritarian leaders had appeared together in public, offering Western intelligence agencies a rare glimpse into their private discussions. The hot mic incident occurred as they walked towards the viewing platform for the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two.
Just 30 seconds after Xi began speaking about life expectancy, the video abruptly cut to a wide shot of Tiananmen Square and the audio faded. When the leaders reappeared on camera, they were ascending the steps towards the parade viewing platform, their conversation no longer audible.
The moment was carried on the livestream provided by state broadcaster CCTV to international media outlets including China’s CGTN, Associated Press and Reuters. China’s radio and television administration confirmed the massive viewership figures for the event.
Neither the Russian government nor China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to requests for comment about the exchange. CCTV also declined to comment on the hot mic incident.
The military parade itself was a spectacular display of China’s growing military might, featuring hypersonic missiles, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, underwater drones, and the newest DF-5C strategic nuclear missiles with a strike radius covering the entire planet. More than 50,000 spectators gathered in Tiananmen Square to witness the carefully choreographed event.
Putin cannot be heard speaking clearly in Russian in the CCTV clip, with only his translator’s Chinese rendition audible. The 72-year-old Russian president has previously shown interest in life extension technologies, reportedly bathing in blood extracted from severed deer antlers as part of alternative health treatments.
The parade brought together leaders from 26 countries, predominantly those at odds with the United States and its allies. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Myanmar’s military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing were among the attendees, whilst Western leaders were notably absent from the event.
President Donald Trump responded to the gathering on Truth Social, writing: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.
The Kremlin later expressed hope that Trump’s “conspiracy” comment was meant “figuratively, not literally,” with spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting that “no one is plotting any conspiracies.”
For Kim, the event marked his first trip to China since 2019 and his debut at a major multilateral gathering since taking power in 2011. The North Korean leader arrived in Beijing aboard his heavily armoured green train, accompanied by his teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae, fuelling speculation about succession plans.
Security expert Ian Chong from the National University of Singapore noted: “For Xi, the point is to reinforce the impression that the PRC has arrived as a great power under his leadership.”
The hot mic revelation adds an intriguing dimension to the relationship between the three leaders, who have been dubbed an “Axis of Upheaval” by Western analysts. Their discussion of radical life extension technologies suggests shared interests beyond mere geopolitical alignment.
As world leaders increasingly grapple with ageing populations and healthcare challenges, the private musings of Putin and Xi about achieving immortality through organ transplants offer a chilling glimpse into the mindset of authoritarian leaders determined to cling to power indefinitely.
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