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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walk to Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on Sept. 3 to attend the Victory Day military parade. / Source: UPI–Yonhap

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were overheard discussing longevity and even immortality during a Victory Day military parade in Beijing, according to reports from Reuters and The New York Times.

The exchange occurred on September 3 as Xi and Putin, joined by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and more than 20 other heads of state, walked to Tiananmen Gate to view the Chinese military parade. Their remarks were captured by a “hot mic,” when microphones inadvertently record private conversations.

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Putin, Xi, and Kim arrive at Tiananmen Gate to observe the Victory Day parade in Beijing on Sept. 3. / Source: UPI–Yonhap

According to The New York Times, a translator relayed Xi’s words to Putin, saying: “In the past, there were hardly any people over 70, but now 70 is still young.” Reuters reported that Putin’s interpreter told Xi in Chinese: “Biotechnology is constantly advancing. Human organs can be endlessly transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you can become, even reaching immortality.”

Xi reportedly replied, “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150.”

Kim Jong-un was seen smiling and glancing at Xi and Putin during the exchange, though it remains unclear whether the comments were translated for him. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV footage captured some of Putin’s Russian words indistinctly, Reuters noted. The New York Times said Kim appeared to be listening through another interpreter.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin leave Tiananmen Gate after the parade to hold bilateral talks on Sept. 3. / Source: UPI–Yonhap

Putin later confirmed at a press conference that such a conversation had taken place. “Modern health methods give us hope that life expectancy will increase significantly,” he said, citing organ transplants and other surgical advances.

Both Xi, born in June 1953, and Putin, born in October 1952, are 72. Xi has led China for 13 years since taking power in 2012, extending his rule through a third term, while Putin secured a fifth term in 2024, reinforcing his image as a modern-day tsar.

Putin has long shown interest in longevity, making life-extension a “core priority” for Russia’s health ministry. Last year, state nuclear company Rosatom announced work on technology to “print” human organs. But experts stress there is no evidence that replacing organs can halt aging, nor is there a substitute for the human brain.

Xi has not spoken publicly about extending his life but has avoided giving hints about succession, signaling his intention to hold on to power. Unlike other Chinese leaders, he appeared at the parade with visible gray hair rather than dyeing it.

The New York Times recalled that with round-the-clock medical care, Chinese leaders such as Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin lived into their 90s.