US delegation discards Chinese items over cybersecurity fears

US officials and press accompanying President Donald Trump reportedly discarded materials from given by the Chinese officials before boarding Air Force One on Friday. The report highlights the deep mistrust that continues to define the US-China ties. The American officials and White House reporters threw away various items collected during the trip, including staff burner phones, credential badges, and lapel pins issued by China. The materials were reportedly dumped into a bin placed near the aircraft stairs shortly before departure from Beijing Capital Airport, according to a journalist in the White House Pool. The move comes as Donald Trump concluded his high-profile two-day visit to Beijing after meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Nothing from China allowed on the plane,” Emily Goodin, the White House correspondent for the New York Post, wrote in a post on X. "Prior to boarding Air Force One to depart Beijing, the entire U.S. delegation disposed of every item provided to them by their Chinese hosts. Gifts, badges, pins, and commemorative items were all dumped into a trash bin on site. The directive was absolute; no item of Chinese origin was permitted to board the aircraft. The precautions extended beyond the departure itself. Delegation members had left all personal electronic devices at home before traveling to China and operated exclusively on clean burner phones throughout the duration of the trip," a post on X read, quoting NYP reporter.

Multiple reports also claimed that the US delegation members did not carry personal electronic devices during the trip and instead relied exclusively on temporary “clean” burner phones as part of stringent cybersecurity precautions. Officials routinely destroy or surrender electronic devices and sensitive materials to prevent potential spying or data compromise.

The move reflects Washington’s longstanding concerns over Beijing’s cyber-surveillance capabilities and fears that electronic devices or even souvenirs could potentially be used for intelligence gathering or tracking purposes.

The unexpected move came despite the cordial public optics surrounding Trump's much-touted meetings with Xi Jinping during the two-day state visit aimed at strengthening ties between Washington and Beijing. Behind the scenes, however, tensions reportedly surfaced between Chinese and American officials over security arrangements and media access at several summit-related events, according to The Hill.

During a visit by Trump and Xi to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, a US Secret Service agent accompanying the American press pool was allegedly denied entry by Chinese officials because the agent was carrying a firearm as part of standard security protocol. According to pool reports, the disagreement resulted in nearly a 90-minute delay before the media was finally allowed into the venue, following what reporters described as an “intense discussion” between US and Chinese officials.

Though the visit was publicly presented as cordial, significant disagreements remain between the two powers on major issues, including trade imbalances, technology competition, Taiwan, and the ongoing war in Iran. This was Trump’s first visit to China in nearly a decade and his seventh face-to-face meeting with Xi. The president and his delegation have returned to Washington. No official comment has been issued by the White House on the reported destruction of materials.