Beijing, September 6, 2025 — Reuters has withdrawn a four-minute video featuring Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin discussing the possibility of living to 150 years, following a demand from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV to rescind usage rights citing breach of their licensing terms and editorial misrepresentation.
The footage, captured via a hot mic during a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, was originally licensed to Reuters by CCTV and distributed to over 1,000 global media clients. The clip included a brief candid exchange: Xi responded to remarks about longer life expectancy and possible immortality with the comment that “some predict that humans may live to 150 years this century.”
According to legal correspondence from CCTV, Reuters exceeded the permissible usage terms and misrepresented the original material through its editorial treatment. Reuters declined to specify the nature of the misrepresentation. In response, they issued a “kill” order to clients and removed the video from its platforms, citing the withdrawal of legal permission for continued use.
In rebuttal, Reuters reaffirmed its journalistic integrity, stating that after careful review, it found no compromise in accuracy or bias in the published footage. CCTV, its international arm CGTN, and the Chinese embassy in Washington have declined to comment on the matter.
