The Kaipher Editorial Team 
Chinese state television revoked permission for Reuters to use footage showing Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin discussing the possibility of humans living to 150 years old, forcing the news agency to withdraw the viral video that had been distributed to over 1,000 global media outlets.
The unusual hot microphone exchange occurred during a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where the Chinese and Russian leaders walked alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The candid conversation captured Xi saying that people could live to 150 years in this century, while Putin discussed organ transplants and the possibility of achieving “immortality”.
CCTV Demands Removal
On Friday, China Central Television’s legal supervisor HE Danning sent a written request to Reuters, stating that the news agency’s “editorial treatment applied to this material has resulted in a clear misrepresentation of the facts and statements contained within the licensed feed”. The letter accused Reuters of exceeding the terms of its usage agreement, though it did not specify the exact objections to the editorial treatment.
Reuters compiled the clips into a four-minute video and distributed it to major international news broadcasters and television stations worldwide. Following CCTV’s demand, Reuters removed the video from its website and issued a “kill” order to its clients, stating it no longer held legal permission to publish the copyrighted material.
Reuters Defends Coverage
Despite withdrawing the footage, Reuters defended its reporting accuracy. “We stand by the accuracy of what we published,” the news agency said in a statement. “We have carefully reviewed the published footage, and we have found no reason to believe Reuters’ longstanding commitment to accurate, unbiased journalism has been compromised”.
The exchange had been widely shared by broadcasters and on social media globally before its removal. Other news agencies licensed by CCTV also distributed edited versions of the footage, though there were no immediate reports of similar removal demands directed at other organizations.
Censorship Response
The conversation sparked significant interest in China before authorities moved to limit discussion. Searches for “150 years” were censored on Weibo, China’s popular social media platform, according to The Washington Post. However, posts about living to such an age initially surged on other Chinese platforms, with at least one company using the trending topic to promote its medical services.
Putin later confirmed to reporters that he and Xi had discussed life extension during their walk to the parade, stating that modern medical technologies give “humanity hope that an active life can be extended even beyond what is possible today”.
