Hot mic catches Putin and Xi about becoming immortal

3D printed human organs, chimeric organs, cancer killing nanobots, anti-ageing technology – I’ve talked about it all. And I’m not the only one it seems. The authoritarian strongmen Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have mused on how organ transplants might lead to immortality, during a brief exchange of small talk caught on a hot mic at a military parade.

The Russian president was in Beijing on Wednesday with the Chinese leader, who hosted allies for a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war.

As Putin and Xi walked at the head of a delegation of foreign leaders, state media aired live footage that captured parts of what appeared to be a private conversation. While they made their way towards a raised platform in Tiananmen Square, Putin’s interpreter could be heard saying in Chinese: “Biotechnology is continuously developing.”

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After a brief inaudible passage, 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, could be heard responding in Chinese: “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.”

Putin confirmed later to reporters he had discussed prospects for significantly increasing human life expectancy with Xi.

Both leaders have shown little intention of relinquishing power in their lifetimes. In 2018, Xi abolished presidential term limits, paving the way for him to rule indefinitely. Putin has also changed Russian law to allow him to remain in high office.

Sections of Russia’s elite, including Putin, have long been fascinated with longevity and the science of extending life.

In 2024, Putin instructed lawmakers to establish a research centre called New Health Preservation Technologies, dedicated to combating ageing. The project focuses on developing “technologies that prevent cellular aging, neuro technologies, and other innovations aimed at ensuring longevity”.

According to an earlier investigation by the independent Russian outlet Meduza, Mikhail Kovalchuk, a longtime family confidant of Vladimir Putin, is leading Russia’s research into immortality, a subject that he and other influential figures close to the Kremlin are reportedly “obsessed” with. Meduza reported that Kovalchuk has invested in organ-printing technology that uses lab-grown cells to produce replacement organs.

Putin’s eldest daughter, the endocrinologist Maria Vorontsova, has received multimillion-dollar Russian government grants to study cell renewal and ways to extend human health and longevity and is involved in a genetic research programme linked to Kovalchuk. When sanctions were passed on her by the US in 2022, the State Department said she was leading Kremlin-funded genetics programmes worth billions.

Putin and Xi walked alongside the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, during their conversation, who was smiling and looking in the direction of Putin and Xi. It was not clear if their chat was being translated for him.

Later footage showed the three leaders walking up the steps towards the viewing platform for the parade.

The moment was carried on the livestream provided by the state broadcaster CCTV to other media, including the international newswires AP and Reuters.

China’s largest-ever military parade included 50,000 spectators and a big display of military hardware, from tanks and drones to nuclear-capable missiles, fighter jets and stealth aircraft.

The performance was seen as a show of defiance to the west. Other attenders included the president of Belarus, Aleksander Lukashenko, the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Myanmar’s junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing.

In his formal address, Xi told the crowd that the Chinese people stood firmly “on the right side of history.” He said China was a great nation that was “never intimidated by any bullies” – in an apparent veiled reference to the US and its allies – and added that China was “unstoppable.”