ISLAMABAD: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were caught on a hot mic discussing organ transplants and the possibility of humans living up to 150 years during a military parade in Beijing, where they were joined by North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
The exchange, broadcast live by China’s CCTV on Wednesday, came as the three leaders led foreign delegations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event drew 1.9 billion views online and more than 400 million on television, according to state media.
As the leaders approached Tiananmen Square’s rostrum, Putin’s interpreter was overheard in Chinese saying: “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, speaking off-camera, replied: “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.”
Putin later confirmed the conversation when asked by reporters: “Modern medical and surgical means, even organ replacement, allow humanity to hope for a longer, more active life.”
CCTV briefly cut away from the scene as Xi began speaking, but the leaders reappeared moments later climbing the steps to the viewing platform. Addressing a crowd of more than 50,000, Xi warned the world faced a choice between “peace or war,” while inspecting troops and unveiling hypersonic missiles and unmanned naval systems.
Putin’s Beijing visit also saw him sign more than 20 agreements with China covering energy, artificial intelligence and infrastructure, as well as confirming plans for a major gas pipeline.
China’s Foreign Ministry and CCTV have not commented on the leaked audio.
