What is China’s ‘981 Project’? A top-secret anti-aging plan that claims leaders could live to 150

Over his conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin, 72-year-old Xi Jinping heard discussion of longevity up to 150 years by organ transplant at Beijing’s grand military parade. It is no wonder that Beijing might be working on something realistic like China’s little-known elite healthcare program, very similar to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un musing about radical life-extension technology. In the 40-second clip, Putin is heard telling Xi and Kim that with advances in biotechnology, “human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can… even achieve immortality.”

The conversation has revived interest in an obscure initiative known as the “981 Health Project for Leaders,” a program reportedly designed to extend the lifespans of China’s top officials far beyond the national average.

Also Read: Could humans really live past 150? 72-year-old Putin and Xi discuss immortality; here is what science says

What is the 981 Health Project?

The project resurfaced after Radio Free Asia’s Chinese service posted an ad from Beijing’s elite 301 Hospital, which provides medical care to top Communist Party leaders. The ad, which circulated briefly on WeChat before being censored, described decades of experimentation in building a special healthcare system combining Chinese health regimens with Western medical technology.The promotional material claimed that China has developed an “integrated system” covering medicine, healthcare, and rehabilitation. China Daily Times transcribes it to reveal that its focus includes cancer prevention, cardio-cerebral vascular diseases, aging, and organ regeneration. Party leaders’ life expectancy had already reached 88 years by 2008, described as “far higher” than that of leaders in Western developed nations. The 981 Project aims to push life expectancy to 150 years for top officials.
One line in the censored ad made the goal explicit: “150 years of longevity to resist dying,” quotes the outlet.
However, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece, The People’s Daily, reported that China’s average life expectancy last year was 79 years, five years higher than the world average.

Longevity research hype in China

A New York Times report highlights how China’s anti-aging sector is rapidly evolving, mixing genuine scientific progress with aggressive marketing. At a Time Pie conference in Shanghai, companies pushed cryogenic booths, hyperbaric chambers, and “anti-aging magic boxes,” while firms like SuperiorMed promoted future “immortality islands,” though they “do not exist yet.”

Amid the hype, leading researchers such as Harvard’s Prof. Gladyshev and aging-clock pioneer Steve Horvath said the field has matured. Longevity science used to rely on “wild claims,” Horvath noted, but has seen a “vast improvement,” including in China. “Nobody serious talks about immortality at scientific conferences anymore because it is so absurd,” he said.

Yet the fantasy still sells: Immortal Dragons, a Singapore fund run by Boyang Wang, is pursuing cryopreservation, organ 3-D printing, and even “whole-body replacement,” reports the outlet.

FAQs on 981 Project

What is China’s ‘981 Project,’ and why is it considered secretive?
China’s ‘981 Project’ refers to a reported elite healthcare initiative aimed at extending the lifespan of top political leaders, with advanced medical research focused on anti-aging, disease prevention, and organ regeneration. It is considered secretive because details are rarely disclosed publicly and related content is often censored.

Can the ‘981 Project’ really help Chinese leaders live up to 150 years?
While the project reportedly aims to extend lifespans to around 150 years, experts say no scientific evidence currently supports such extreme longevity. The initiative is believed to focus on cutting-edge biotech, early disease detection, and elite medical services rather than proven life-extension breakthroughs.