Russian President Vladimir Putin (from left), Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un are moving to the Tiananmen Rostrum in Beijing on the 3rd to attend the 80th-anniversary parade commemorating China’s Victory Day. ⓒ AP/Yonhap News, ‘[Dailyan = Reporter Kim Sang-do] During the Victory Day event in Beijing on the 3rd, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were caught in a hot mic moment discussing topics such as organ transplants and immortality, which were unexpectedly broadcast live.’,
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, ‘According to Reuters, President Xi and President Putin were having this conversation while moving to the Tiananmen Rostrum with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from over 20 countries to attend the Chinese People’s Liberation Army parade commemorating the Victory Day in Beijing, with their dialogue captured by a “hot mic.” A hot mic refers to situations where private conversations or jokes by celebrities, unaware the microphone is on, are inadvertently made public, often causing difficulties.’,
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, ‘The two leaders, along with Kim, were at the forefront of their group as they moved to the Tiananmen Rostrum, and this was broadcast live on Chinese state television, CCTV. During the scene where they were walking towards the Rostrum, a man, presumed to be a Russian interpreter for President Xi, was heard saying in Russian, “Almost no one over 70, but these days even 70 is still young,” as reported by the New York Times (NYT).’,
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, ‘Putin’s interpreter was heard in Chinese saying, “Biotechnology is constantly advancing,” and “Human organs can be endlessly transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and you might even achieve immortality,” according to Reuters. To this, President Xi, from off-camera, responded in Chinese, “Some predict humans could live to 150 years old this century.”‘,
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, ‘At this moment, Kim was seen smiling and looking towards President Xi and President Putin, although it is unclear if the conversation was being translated to him. The Russian spoken by President Putin was reportedly not clearly audible in the Chinese state TV footage. However, it seemed that Kim might have been listening through a separate interpreter, as per the NYT.’,
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, ‘President Putin confirmed the conversation during a press conference held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse that afternoon. According to the NYT, Putin told reporters, “I didn’t pay special attention to the conversation with President Xi,” but he expressed hope that “modern healthcare would significantly increase life expectancy.” He also added, “This includes medical and even surgical means related to organ transplants.”‘,
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, ‘The Russian government, Chinese Foreign Ministry, and CCTV did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment about this dialogue between the two leaders.’,
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, ‘President Xi was born in June 1953, and President Putin in October 1952, both currently 72 years old. President Xi has maintained his position since 2012 with three consecutive terms and has been in power for 13 years, while President Putin, having been in power since 2000, has secured his fifth term as of 2024, reigning as a modern-day “tsar.” ‘,
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, ‘The NYT emphasized that President Putin is known to have long had a personal interest in longevity, assigning the task of extending life expectancy as a core priority to the Ministry of Health.\n’]