President Trump and a team of U.S. officials departed Beijing on Friday following two days of high-level discussions with the Chinese government, headed by President Xi Jinping.
Before boarding Air Force One, White House staff and reporters had to turn in various items acquired during the trip, including burner phones, credential badges, and lapel pins provided by China. These items were disposed of in a bin at the base of the plane’s stairs, as reported by a journalist in the White House press pool.
“Nothing from China allowed on the plane,” wrote Emily Goodin, the White House correspondent for the New York Post, in a post on X.
Images from the visit show several members of the U.S. delegation, including Trump, White House communications director Steven Cheung, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and Secret Service agents, all wearing pins on their coat lapels.
Goodin did not elaborate on why these items had to be discarded, likely due to security concerns. Despite the seemingly cordial summit, China remains a significant adversary, recognized for its advanced intelligence and espionage abilities. The U.S. and its allies persistently accuse China of espionage and cyberattacks.
It’s plausible some of the gifted items could have been compromised, as has been the case in past governmental exchanges. Burner phones, which are meant for restricted use and later disposal, were likely targeted during the trip.
The White House spokespeople did not immediately comment on the situation.