Active microphone picks up Xi, Putin discussing 'immortality,' organ transplants at Victory Day event

Russian President Vladimir Putin, front left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, front right, attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing on Sept. 3. [EPA/YONHAP]

 
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were caught discussing life extension and organ transplants on a hot mic during a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. 
 
A hot mic refers to a microphone that is live and picking up sound without the speaker realizing it.
  
The exchange was broadcast live as the two leaders walked across the Tiananmen Gate tower alongside around 20 other foreign leaders, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 
 

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Putin’s interpreter was first heard saying in Chinese, “Biotechnology is continuously developing.” 
 
After a few inaudible phrases, the interpreter 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 at the time, responded in Chinese, “Some predict that in this century, humans may live to 150 years old.”
  
Xi was born in 1953 and Putin was born in 1952. As Xi began to speak, the broadcast feed shifted to footage of Tiananmen Square and the audio faded.
  
Kim, who stood in the front row next to the two leaders, was seen smiling in their direction. But it remains unclear whether the conversation was interpreted for him, according to Reuters.
  
At a press conference later that evening at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Putin addressed questions about the exchange.
  
“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." 


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY WI MOON-HEE [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]