Will 150-Year-Olds Get in Xi Jinping’s Way?
A quip about longevity may be an ominous clue to the future of China’s social safety net
Putin, Xi and Kim: Taking stock in long life.
Photographer: Sergey Bobylev/AFP
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Amid the military precision during Beijing’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a hot-mic moment revealed what unscripted authoritarian chit-chat is like. On the walk to the Tiananmen parade viewing platform, China’s President Xi Jinping quipped to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un that human beings might soon live up to 150 years. Putin responded that biotechnology might even allow humans to “achieve immortality.” Considering the trio are their countries’ likely bosses for life, advocates of democracy may not be amused. But the prospect of China’s citizenry being blessed with almost twice their current life expectancy could come with a macroeconomic curse.