A live broadcast has captured Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing organ transplants and the possibility of humans living 150 years as the two leaders walked together in Beijing alongside North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
The exchange was recorded on Wednesday as the three leaders led a delegation of more than two dozen foreign officials to a military parade marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV, which livestreamed the event to global media outlets, including The Associated Press and Reuters news agencies, reported that its coverage drew 1.9 billion views online and more than 400 million on television.
As Putin and Xi approached Tiananmen Square’s rostrum, Putin’s interpreter was heard 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, who was not on camera, responded: “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.”
Putin later confirmed the conversation when asked by reporters in Beijing. “I think when we went to the parade, the chairman talked about it,” he said. “Modern means of health improvement, medical means, even surgical ones related to organ replacement, they allow humanity to hope that active life will continue differently than it does today.”
CCTV footage briefly cut away to a wide shot of Tiananmen Square as Xi began speaking with the audio fading out. The leaders reappeared moments later, walking up the steps to the viewing platform.
Xi, addressing a crowd of more than 50,000 spectators, warned that the world faced a stark choice between “peace or war”. He inspected troops and showcased advanced military technology, including hypersonic missiles and unmanned naval systems.
Putin arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a summit hosted by China with global leaders who included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Russian and Chinese leaders signed more than 20 agreements covering energy, artificial intelligence and infrastructure projects while confirming plans for a major gas pipeline.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CCTV have yet to comment on the leaked audio.
The post Putin and Xi caught on hot mic talking about living to 150 appeared first on Al Jazeera.
