In a stunning and bizarre moment on the global stage, a live state-media broadcast has allegedly captured a private conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two authoritarian leaders were heard discussing human organ transplants and their collective pursuit of immortality.
The unscripted exchange, which lasted less than a minute, took place as Xi and Putin—walking shoulder-to-shoulder with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—made their way to the podium at a massive military parade in Beijing. The event, which officially marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, quickly became a display of a burgeoning new alliance between the three nations.
According to a translation of the hot mic audio, which has since gone viral on social media, Putin’s translator can be heard saying in Chinese: “Biotechnology is continuously developing… Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and [you can] even achieve immortality.” Xi, who was not on camera, reportedly replied that some scientists predict humans may live to “150 years old” within this century.
The conversation, which Kim Jong Un observed with a slight smile, has sent shockwaves through the diplomatic community. While both leaders are known for their secretive nature and health-conscious lifestyles, the open discussion of such a topic on a public broadcast has raised a new level of scrutiny.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson quickly dismissed the report as “absurd” and “Western propaganda.” However, Putin later confirmed to reporters in Beijing that the two leaders had discussed the topic of longevity, stating, “Modern means of health improvement… even surgical ones related to organ replacement, they allow humanity to hope that active life will continue differently than it does today.”
The exchange has given new life to long-standing allegations of forced organ harvesting in China, which has been the subject of numerous international human rights reports. For critics, the conversation is a chilling confirmation of a dark truth, while for supporters, it is a testament to the leaders’ interest in cutting-edge science and technology.
The surreal moment has provided an unfiltered glimpse into the private obsessions of two of the world’s most powerful men. In a world fraught with geopolitical tensions, the two leaders, who have long been accused of seeking to extend their political lives, now appear to be discussing the very real possibility of extending their physical ones, leaving the rest of the world to wonder what they might be willing to do to achieve it.