Trump enters China under ‘digital lockdown’ as US officials ditch personal phones over cyber fears

As US President Donald Trump reaches Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, members of the American delegation are operating under what officials describe as a near-total “digital lockdown”, leaving behind personal phones and carrying stripped-down devices amid fears of surveillance and cyber espionage.

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According to a report by Fox News, Trump’s delegation, including aides, security officials and executives from major US firms such as Apple, Nvidia, Boeing Qualcomm, and BlackRock, has been instructed to avoid using personal electronics while in China, which US officials continue to classify as one of the world’s most aggressive cyber environments. 

Instead, officials are reportedly travelling with temporary “clean” phones, restricted laptops and tightly controlled communications systems designed to minimise risks linked to hacking, surveillance or data extraction.  

“China is a mass surveillance state,” Bill Gage, former Secret Service special agent and current director of executive protection at Safehaven Security Group, told Fox News. “Briefings for US officials begin well before the president arrives, and they make clear that everything is monitored.” 

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The report said even charging a phone is treated as a cybersecurity threat. Federal guidance warns officials against using unknown USB ports or local charging stations due to risks associated with “juice jacking,” a technique where compromised hardware can extract sensitive information or install malicious software onto devices. 

“There are no safe electronic communications in China,” Gage added, noting that officials are advised to restrict digital activity only to mission-critical communication. 

Theresa Payton, former White House chief information officer and CEO of cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solutions, told Fox News that the US government assumes that “everything you say and do, both in person and digitally, could be monitored.” 

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Payton told Fox News that some executives and officials are issued temporary “loaner phones” configured with known “golden images” that allow security teams to compare devices before and after the trip to detect tampering. “There may be controlled ‘safe zones’ set up where officials can communicate back to the US, but everything is tightly managed,” she said. 

The report said the White House communications and military teams also established temporary secure facilities, known as Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs), within hotels or controlled areas to prevent electronic eavesdropping during sensitive discussions.