"You Could Live to 150"...Shocking Conversation Ultimately Deleted

Conversation Caught on a Hot Mic

A video capturing a conversation about "immortality" between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a military parade in Beijing has spread online and was subsequently deleted. Major international media outlets that first reported the video removed it under pressure from Chinese state media, but they have maintained the credibility of their reporting, fueling ongoing international controversy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (from left), Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are watching the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II held in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, the 3rd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Previously, a major international news agency obtained permission from China Central Television (CCTV), which broadcast the event live, to use the footage of the conversation and edited it into a four-minute video. This video was then distributed to over 1,000 media clients worldwide.

The footage features a conversation between President Xi and President Putin during the Victory Day event held in Beijing on the 3rd. The two leaders discussed topics such as organ transplants and immortality.

At the time, President Xi remarked, "In the past, it was rare for people to live to 70, but now 70 is considered young." President Putin responded, "Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and you might even achieve immortality." President Xi then laughed out loud and said, "Some people predict that humans could live to 150 in this century." President Xi was born in June 1953, and President Putin was born in October 1952.

Conversation Caught on a Hot Mic

Russian President Vladimir Putin (front row left), Chinese President Xi Jinping (front row third from left), and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un (front row right) are walking to the Tiananmen Gate Tower to attend the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (Victory Day) held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on the 3rd (local time). Photo by EPA Yonhap News

This exchange between the two leaders was captured not by official microphones, but by a "hot mic." A "hot mic" refers to a situation in which private conversations are inadvertently made public because the speakers are unaware that the microphone is still on during official events.

The fact that this conversation between two long-standing leaders was reported via a hot mic has led to speculation that both may be considering lifelong rule.

Subsequently, on the 5th, CCTV demanded that the major news agency that reported the story delete the video, claiming that "the remarks were clearly distorted during the editing process," and revoked the usage rights for the footage.

As a result, the news agency deleted the video and requested its clients do the same. However, regarding accusations of distortion due to editing, the agency countered, "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting," adding, "After carefully reviewing the released footage, we found no grounds to believe that the principles of accurate and unbiased journalism had been compromised." According to the agency, neither CCTV nor the Chinese embassy in Washington responded to requests for comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, both leaders are serving long terms in office. President Xi has held power for 13 years since late 2012, and President Putin is now set for a "30-year rule," surpassing the 29-year tenure of former Soviet Communist Party Secretary Joseph Stalin.