Featured Image Credit: ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/Getty
Topics: Vladimir Putin, Politics, World News, Russia, China, Weird
Callum Jones
Topics: Vladimir Putin, Politics, World News, Russia, China, Weird
A hot mic has captured the moment Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping had a discussion about organ transplants and ‘immortality’ during China's military parade.
After arriving in the country, the Russian president received a warm welcome - and handshake - from his Chinese counterpart, who referred to him as an 'old friend'.
North Korea's Kim Jong-Un was also at the event in Beijing on Wednesday (September 3), in what was a rare occasion for the three world leaders to be standing side-by-side.
A hot mic at the military parade, which was marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, has captured what was seemingly said between Xi and Putin.
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The Russian leader's comments were being interpreted for the Chinese president.
As per Reuters and the Associated Press, relaying Putin's words, the interpreter said in Mandarin: "With continuous advances in biotechnology, human organs will be increasingly transplanted - letting us live younger and younger, and perhaps even achieve immortality."
In his own voice, Xi responded: "In this century, it's anticipated that it may be possible for people to live to 150 years old."
The hot mic moment involving such powerful figures is certainly a rare moment, and one expert revealed why they're not surprised by what was said.
Feng Chongyi, who is a China studies expert at the University of Technology Sydney, said as per ABC News: "Throughout history, dictators around the world have sought immortality, and in China this tradition is even longer. Authoritarian leaders will stop at nothing in the pursuit of eternal life."
Russia and China have been allies for a long while, with Putin having previously praised relations with China, stating their ties are at an 'unprecedentedly high level'.
The concern of World War III is somewhat prevalent, though Putin has recently dismissed any worries as he spoke alongside the Slovakian prime minister, Robert Fico, who claims that suggestions of an attack from Moscow on Europe were a 'provocation or incompetence'.
Putin said that it was 'absolute nonsense' that there were plans to strike deeper in Europe and to target NATO, slamming the response from the EU as 'hysteria' based on 'horror stories'.
"As for ‘Russia’s aggressive plans with respect to Europe’, I want to emphasise once again that this is complete nonsense, which has absolutely no basis," he said.
"Any sensible person realises that Russia has never had, does not have, and will not have the desire to attack anyone."