BEIJING – During his visit to China, President Trump faced an unexpected challenge: being unable to use his cherished cell phone. This precaution, aimed at shielding his data from potential hacking attempts, is a common advisory for anyone traveling to China and posed a logistical hurdle for the president and his team.
For a leader known for his frequent phone use—whether it’s calling friends, fielding calls from journalists, or sharing memes—this was indeed a significant adjustment. A White House official confirmed that Trump had to refrain from using his personal device while in China.
Consequently, his presence on Truth Social, the platform where he regularly shares his thoughts, noticeably diminished during the summit. It’s likely that any updates coming from his account were managed by White House staff stationed in Washington D.C., who have been working according to Beijing’s time zone to ensure seamless logistical support.
A White House official confirmed the president wouldn’t be using his personal phone in China.
Posts to his Truth Social account have been limited during the summit — and have likely been posted from Washington DC, where several White House staff are working Beijing hours to provide logistical support from afar.
Because the president is not the only one making do without his personal cellular device during this “digital lockdown.”
Administration staffers are using burner phones and burner email addresses during the two-day summit – all part of the White House’s efforts to keep information secure while ensuring the trip flows smoothly.
These devices are stripped of most basic functions and apps to serve as “clean” devices – designed to have minimal information if breached.
The State Department warns Americans traveling in China, “there is no expectation of privacy on mobile or other networks in China,” and notes many travelers bring electronic devices without personal information.
For White House staff, personal devices were stored on Air Force One in Faraday bags, which block all signals, including GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and RFID.
The bags protect sensitive data from being hacked remotely.
Trump and his staff will get access to their devices as soon as they board the presidential plane.
Air Force One is considered American territory no matter where it’s parked, and the plane, which functions as a flying Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) has other ways of protecting data.
Trump has been discussing thorny issues with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, over two days of meetings, including the Iran war, Taiwan, trade and tech.
The two world leaders also built on their personal rapport during a grand welcome ceremony, a state banquet dinner, and even a Chinese band rendition of his favorite campaign song, “YMCA”.