China showcases next-gen military arsenal for the first time

(From left) Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un before the military parade in Beijing on Wednesday. PIC/AFP

China on Wednesday unveiled for the first time some of its weaponry, including jet fighters, missiles and latest electronic warfare hardware, showcasing its military might. Twenty-six foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the leaders from Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and central Asian countries attended it.

From India's neighbourhood, the prime ministers of Pakistan and Nepal, and the Maldives president will attend. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan welcomed the foreign guests. Hundreds of troops took part in the parade held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's win over Japan in WWII.

Kim arrived in Beijing by train along with daughter Kim Ju Ae on his second visit to China since 2019. Xi, Putin and Kim together at a military parade in Beijing was seen as an attempt to send a message to the US and President Donald Trump, who tried to woo Putin and Kim.

Putin and Kim met formally at the Diaoyutai state guest house after the parade. The duo travelled from a formal reception to the negotiations in the same car. Putin praised the bravery of North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Moscow's troops against Ukraine.

Xi, Putin, talk of transplants and immortality at parade

As Russian President Vladimir Putin walked with Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday, a hot mic caught the Chinese and Russian leaders discussing the possibility that humans could live up to 150 years with organ transplants.

The victory parade in Beijing on Wednesday. Pic/Getty Images

As they walked toward the Tiananmen rostrum, Putin's translator said in Chinese: "Biotechnology is continuously developing… Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and (you can) even achieve immortality."

In response, Xi can be heard in Chinese, saying, "Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old." The conversation was carried on the livestream by state broadcaster CCTV to other media outlets.

Putin cannot be heard speaking clearly in Russian in the clip, but he confirmed later that there were discussions regarding the subject. "Modern means of health improvement, medical means, even surgical ones related to organ replacement, allow humanity to hope that active life will continue differently than it does today," he said.

World leaders who joined in…

The leaders of 26 countries joined joined the celebrations in Beijing on Wednesday, including...

Country Visiting official
Russia President Vladimir Putin
North Korea Kim Jong Un
Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu
Myanmar Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing
Cambodia King Norodom Sihamoni
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev