WASHINGTON, D.C. — A chilling exchange between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, caught on a hot mic, has ignited bipartisan outrage in Washington after the two leaders were overheard discussing organ transplants as a potential path to “immortality”—prompting Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) to demand immediate Senate approval of his House-passed Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act.
While walking together during a recent public event, the two leaders casually traded remarks about transplanting human organs and the possibility of extended human lifespans, with Putin’s translator noting, “The longer you live, the younger you become,” and Xi’s translator replying, “Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old,” according to a Reuters report.
Rep. Smith, who serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the casual tone of the conversation “insidious” and urged the Senate to take immediate action to confront what he described as a “barbaric practice” happening on an industrial scale—particularly in China.
Smith’s House-passed legislation, the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025, cleared the lower chamber in May by a sweeping 406–1 vote, following the earlier passage of the 2023 version by a margin of 413–2. The bill would give the U.S. government expanded powers to impose severe criminal and civil penalties on individuals and entities found to be involved in forced organ trafficking, including freezing assets, blocking entry into the United States, and up to 20 years of imprisonment.
“For nearly three decades—since my first hearing on this in 1998—I’ve been sounding the alarm,” said Smith, who has chaired over 100 congressional hearings on human rights violations in China, including multiple sessions dedicated to forced organ harvesting.
According to Smith, the updated legislation would also require detailed annual reports on organ trafficking around the world and enforce sanctions under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 on anyone determined to fund, sponsor, or facilitate forced organ removal.
The congressman referred to reports—some backed by international tribunals and investigations—alleging that prisoners of conscience, particularly Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghur Muslims, have been primary targets for non-consensual organ extractions in Chinese hospitals.
Smith emphasized the urgency of the Senate’s role, stating the conversation between Xi and Putin serves as a “wake-up call” and evidence of how openly these regimes view human life as a means to an end.
The Senate has not yet indicated when or if it will bring the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 to the floor.
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Key Points
- A hot mic caught Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin discussing human organ transplants and life extension during a public appearance
- Rep. Chris Smith is urging the Senate to pass his bipartisan Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025
- The bill seeks to criminalize and sanction individuals involved in forced organ trafficking, especially in China
A private conversation about human organs and immortality has triggered a public outcry in Congress.