The Chinese leader replied: \u201cBy the end of this century, people may live to 150 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nearby, North Korea\u2019s Kim Jong-un \u2013 three decades younger than the two 72-year-olds \u2013 appeared to take note with a smile.<\/p>\n
Beijing\u2019s hot-mic moment has stirred gossip about the leaders\u2019 shelf life, and inevitably, chatter about just how far they will push to keep the clock from running out.<\/p>\n
For now, there is no sign that any of the three leaders intend to loosen their grip on power. Each looks set to rule for as long as their bodies hold out, and none has offered a clear succession plan.<\/p>\n
Under constitutional changes he pushed through in 2020, Putin could remain<\/a> in power until 2036, when he will be 83 \u2013 surpassing even Joseph Stalin\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n Xi, through purges<\/a> of allies and rivals alike, has torn up the Communist party\u2019s once-scripted tradition of grooming successors. In totalitarian North Korea, succession has traditionally been determined only by death.<\/p>\n The leaders\u2019 drive for longevity is nothing new. Rulers have long searched for ways to stretch their lives and their rule.<\/p>\n The first emperor of China<\/a>, Qin Shi Huang (259\u2013210BC), sent expeditions to the mythical Mount Penglai in search of elixirs of eternal life \u2013 though the mercury brews he swallowed may actually have hastened his death.<\/p>\n Alexander the Great, legend has it, roamed the \u201cLand of Darkness\u201d, a mythical and perpetually dark forest, in his quest for the water of life.<\/p>\n Many centuries later, Italy\u2019s Silvio Berlusconi approached the same problem with customary flamboyance \u2013 hair transplants, cosmetic surgery and blood treatments \u2013 in his attempt to appear invincible on the political stage.<\/p>\n Around the same time, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan\u2019s autocratic president, ordered an institute in Astana to study \u201crejuvenation of the organism\u201d, the human genome and gene-based medicines.<\/p>\n \u201cAs for the medicine of the future, people of my age are really hoping all of this will happen as soon as possible,\u201d Nazarbayev pleaded<\/a> with local Kazakh scientists in 2010.<\/p>\n Berlusconi eventually died at 86<\/a>, after a battle with a routine lung infection; Nazarbayev was pushed aside after unrest in Kazakhstan in 2022, his family swept from power; he is now 85.<\/p>\n Putin, who knew both men well, appears to be taking it further \u2013 pursuing the most ambitious and lavishly funded path toward longevity and the science of extending life.<\/p>\n The Russian leader has long been obsessed with health: he is said to rely on his team of doctors and turn to alternative medicine in his quest for vitality.<\/p>\n But those who study him say this is not just about staying healthy, it is about extending life itself.<\/p>\n \u201cIn his conversation with Xi, Putin spoke about a topic that genuinely interests him,\u201d said Mikhail Rubin, a Russian journalist who recently co-authored a biography<\/a> of the president.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to understand that even at the time of this exchange, there was almost certainly a whole team of doctors somewhere nearby,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n According to Rubin, there is little to indicate that Putin needs constant medical care; he appears healthy for his age, but still routinely travels with a large entourage of doctors from various specialisations.<\/p>\n \u201cThat suggests the Russian president is preoccupied with his health and longevity,\u201d Rubin said.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe Putin dreams of ruling for many more years, and places great hopes on the progress of modern medicine,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Putin has made little secret of his fascination with prolonging life, and on Wednesday showed no reluctance to repeat his private musings on longevity at a press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cModern means and methods of improving health, even various surgical [operations] involving organ replacement, allow humanity to hope that \u2026\u2009life expectancy will increase significantly,\u201d Putin told reporters in Beijing.<\/p>\n Mikhail Kovalchuk, a longtime family friend often described as Putin\u2019s favourite scientist, is said to be spearheading Russia\u2019s research into immortality.<\/p>\n According to the independent outlet Meduza, Kovalchuk has established<\/a> several institutes with millions in state funding to invest in new technologies, including organ-printing with lab-grown cells to create replacement organs.<\/p>\n Putin\u2019s eldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, a trained endocrinologist, has also received large government grants to study extending human health and longevity, and is involved in a genetic research programme linked to Kovalchuk.<\/p>\n Russia\u2019s ageing elite\u2019s quest for eternal life has already seeped into the country\u2019s pop culture.<\/p>\n It was the premise of a 2024 satirical novel by the Russian writer Ivan Filippov, Mouse<\/a>, which tells the story of an infected rodent that escapes from a scientific institute where researchers are developing a drug to prolong Putin\u2019s life<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, I wasn\u2019t that surprised [about Putin\u2019s hot mic comments],\u201d Filippov told the Guardian.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause my story was born out of reality. And with Putin, it\u2019s obvious: he is practically obsessed with the idea of living for ever, or at least longer than fate allows,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my book, this obsession ends badly for everyone,\u201d Filippov added.<\/p>\n Quick GuideContact us about this storyShow The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.<\/p>\n If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.<\/p>\n Secure Messaging in the Guardian app<\/strong><\/p>\n The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.<\/p>\n If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS<\/a>\/Android<\/a>) and go to the menu. 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Hot mic catches Putin and Xi discussing organ transplants and immortality \u2013\u00a0video<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757079312_744_4000.jpg\")
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