Chinese leader Xi Jinping was caught chatting about the possibility of living to 150 in a hot-mic moment with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday.
The conversation between China’s 72-year-old leader and his Russian and North Korean counterparts was picked up on a live video feed as they walked side by side toward a viewing platform to watch China’s massive military parade in Tiananmen Square. The parade ostensibly served to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II but is being viewed by many observers in the West as a display of Beijing firepower and key partnerships challenging a US-led world order.
The rare hot-mic moment came immediately after a group photo of the 26 international leaders gathered in Beijing. After the photo, Xi, Putin and Kim led the group to their seats, chatting via interpreters in a conversation that was partially picked up by microphones.
The audio cuts in and out, but at the start Xi can be heard telling Kim in Mandarin: “I’m also very happy. It’s been a long time since we last met.” Kim replies via a translator that it’s been six years since they last saw each other.
Later in the video, Xi is heard saying in his native language: “Now people in their 70s are still young.”
