During a live broadcast of China’s military parade on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were briefly seen having an unusual conversation about organ transplants and human lifespan.
The encounter happened as Putin and Xi, along with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, walked with more than 20 other foreign leaders toward Tiananmen Square in Beijing to watch the military parade, which marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The conversation was visible on a livestream from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, which was also shared by CGTN, AP, and Reuters.
Putin and Xi Jinping Discuss ‘Immortality’
In the clip, Putin’s translator spoke in Chinese to Xi, saying, “Biotechnology is continuously developing.” After a short unclear passage, he added, “…human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and (you can) even achieve immortality.”
Xi, who was off-camera, replied, “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.” Kim smiled during the conversation, though it wasn’t clear whether he understood the discussion. Putin’s words in Russian were hard to hear on the livestream.
The conversation ended quickly when the camera switched to wide shots of Tiananmen Square before returning to the three leaders walking to the viewing platform. Later, at a press briefing, Putin confirmed that he had indeed talked with Xi about the possibility of humans living much longer lives.
China Had Invited Putin to Attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Putin had arrived in China on Sunday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, which brought together more than 20 leaders from non-Western countries, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the visit, Putin and Xi signed over 20 agreements covering areas like energy and artificial intelligence. They also agreed to build a major new gas pipeline, though details about financing and gas prices were not announced.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, who rarely leaves his country, traveled to China on Tuesday via a bulletproof train to attend the parade in Beijing. After the parade, Kim and Putin met formally at the Diaoyutai state guest house.
