News · 16 May 2026
Trump's team tossed Chinese gifts before flight
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
Washington's concerns about cyber-surveillance and intelligence gathering led to a directive to discard all Chinese items. US personnel and reporters accompanying President Trump disposed of items such as Chinese-issued phones, badges, and gifts, before their Friday Air Force One departure. This happened after his two-day Beijing visit, with officials using temporary burner phones throughout the trip.
Reported by The Economic Times · How we write briefs