Humans can live for 150 years: Hot mic captures Putin, Xi discussing immortality

Beijing’s tightly choreographed military spectacle took an unexpected turn when a hot microphone picked up a rare unscripted exchange between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin — both in their early 70s — about living to 150 and the possibility of human immortality, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un smiling nearby.

The extraordinary scene unfolded as the leaders ascended the Tiananmen Gate to view a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The moment was broadcast on a live feed provided by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and was quickly flagged by social media users, according to a Bloomberg report.

“Biotechnology is continuously developing,” Putin’s translator was heard saying in Chinese on the state-run CCTV feed, as per a Reuters report. “Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and (you can) even achieve immortality.”

Xi, speaking in Mandarin, responded off camera: “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.” Kim, walking just steps away, smiled in their direction, though it was unclear if the conversation was translated for him.

Bloomberg report mentioned that snippets of the chat — “these days” and “70 years old” — caught Xi reflecting on how lifespans had already stretched dramatically. A translator relaying his remarks in Russian quipped: “Earlier, people rarely lived to 70, but these days at 70 years you are still a child.” The audio, which lasted less than a minute, faded as cameras cut to sweeping shots of Tiananmen Square.

The moment quickly went viral, flagged by social media users who spotted the private musings of two of the world’s most powerful men amid hours of heavily scripted coverage.

For Xi and Putin, both 72, the subject of longevity is not without irony. Neither has named a clear successor, with Xi scrapping presidential term limits and Putin rewriting Russian law to prolong his rule. Kim, 41, meanwhile, brought his daughter Ju Ae to Beijing, fuelling speculation about dynastic succession in Pyongyang.

Hours later, Putin addressed a press conference and acknowledged the conversation: “We really discussed with China’s Xi that people would be able to live longer,” Putn was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The hot-mic episode unfolded just before Xi took to the podium to warn that the world was again at a crossroads. “Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum,” he told a crowd of more than 50,000 spectators.

The parade itself was a dazzling show of strength — Xi, dressed in a Mao-style tunic, rode past ranks of troops and cutting-edge weaponry, from hypersonic missiles to underwater drones. Fighter jets roared overhead, helicopters carried vast banners, and 80,000 “peace” birds were released into the skies. Seated between Putin and Kim on the reviewing stand, Xi presented the trio as a united front at a time when all three face strained relations with the West.

The gathering underscored deepening ties between Russia and China. Putin and Xi signed more than 20 deals during the visit, including energy and artificial intelligence cooperation, while Kim’s presence hinted at closer defense coordination between Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang.

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