politics
US orders travelers on Air Force One to throw away gifts, pins, and burner phones after China trip
While the summit appeared cordial, China remains a key adversary of the United States, given its advanced intelligence and espionage capabilities.
TL;DR
- U.S. officials and reporters on Air Force One had to surrender items collected during a trip to China.
- Items included staff burner phones, credential badges, and pins issued by China.
- The directive was reportedly for security reasons, given China's intelligence and espionage capabilities.
- It is possible gifted items could be bugged, and burner phones may have been targeted.