Xi and Putin caught on hot mic discussing organ transplants and immortality

A private exchange between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin has drawn global attention after they were overheard discussing organ transplants and the possibility of extending human life, even to the point of immortality.

The conversation, captured by a hot mic during a military parade in Beijing, offered a rare glimpse into the personal reflections of two leaders who have each held power for more than a decade.

The remarks were picked up on a livestream broadcast by Chinese state television as Xi and Putin walked alongside North Korea’s Kim Jong Un through Tiananmen Square during celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Putin, through a translator, suggested that breakthroughs in biotechnology could one day allow continuous organ replacement, keeping people young and potentially paving the way to eternal life.

"With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live younger and younger, and even achieve immortality," his Mandarin translator was heard saying.

Xi’s translator then added that forecasts now suggest it could be possible for people to live up to 150 years this century. "In the past, it used to be rare for someone to be older than 70 and these days they say that at 70 one's still a child," the Chinese leader’s remarks were translated as saying.

The exchange, relayed into English by the BBC, reflected a striking departure from the political and military messaging that dominated the parade, where Xi used the occasion to showcase China’s military strength, including nuclear missiles with global range, and to warn that the world faces a choice between peace and war.

Putin later revisited the subject during an interview with Russian state media. Tass quoted him as saying: "Modern recovery methods, medical methods, even surgical ones dealing with the replacement of organs, enable humanity to hope for active life to last longer than it does today. Average age is different in different countries but life expectancy will increase significantly."

The parade brought together 27 heads of state and government, with Putin and Kim among the most high-profile attendees. Others included Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Vietnam’s Luong Cuong and Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Observers noted that the event was the first time Xi, Putin and Kim appeared publicly side by side, an image that many viewed as a signal of defiance to the West. Their alignment drew a swift reaction from the United States, where President Donald Trump accused the trio of collusion.

"Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The unusual hot mic moment suggested that, beyond political and military ambitions, Xi and Putin are also preoccupied with questions of health, longevity, and the possibilities of science in reshaping the future of human life.