A bizarre and revealing hot-mic moment between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping has sparked global intrigue.
The exchange took place in Beijing during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
As Putin and Xi Jinping walked through Tiananmen Square alongside North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, microphones broadcasting the event on Chinese state TV picked up their candid conversation, as reported by BBC News.
Putin and Xi Jinping discuss whether people could live to 150
“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,” Xi’s translator could be heard saying in Russian.
Putin’s Mandarin translator then added: “With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live younger and younger, and even achieve immortality.”
Xi’s translator followed with: “Predictions are, this century, there's a chance of also living to 150 [years old].”
Another translation of the same moment captured Putin’s side: “Biotechnology is continuously developing. Human organs can be continuously transplanted.
"The longer you live, the younger you become, and [you can] even achieve immortality.”
Kim Jong Un caught smiling at the exchange
While it wasn’t clear whether the discussion was being translated for him, Kim Jong Un appeared amused by the unusual chat.
Cameras showed the North Korean leader smiling in their direction as the conversation unfolded.
Both Putin and Xi are 72, and neither has indicated plans to step down after decades in power — 25 years for Putin, 13 for Xi.
Their musings about longevity quickly spread across social media, with many describing the comments as both surreal and unsettling.
Putin later doubles down on longevity hopes
Putin later repeated similar sentiments in comments to Russian media.
According to state news agency Tass, he said: “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.”
Xi’s hardline message of “peace or war”
The conversation happened just before Xi delivered a major speech to more than 50,000 people.
Inspecting Chinese troops and cutting-edge weaponry — including hypersonic missiles, naval drones, and nuclear-capable systems — he declared that the world faced a choice between “peace and war," as reported by the New York Post.
The Victory Day spectacle also marked the first public appearance of Xi, Putin, and Kim Jong Un together, a show of solidarity viewed as a direct signal to the West.
They were joined by 24 other dignitaries, including Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Vietnam’s Luong Cuong, and Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Trump lashes out over Beijing summit
The unusual exchange came as China continues positioning itself as a counterweight to U.S. power, particularly following the tariffs imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency.
The American leader has not ignored the growing ties between China, Russia, and North Korea. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America.”