During recent visits by the US President, officials, and security teams to China, it has been reported that high-ranking personnel are leaving personal mobile phones and digital gadgets behind. In their place, they are required to utilize specially prepared “Clean Devices”-temporary laptops and other communications systems that have undergone stringent preliminary vetting-to reduce the risk of spying, hacking, or data theft.
According to current and former US officials, there is an ingrained belief within the American government that any electronics brought into China-including smartphones, tablets, laptops, or even hotel Wi-Fi connections-must be treated as potentially compromised. Insider sources reporting to Fox News noted that these stringent security protocols severely complicate even routine daily communications. Information that would typically be sent via encrypted apps or synchronized devices must instead be passed through controlled channels, temporary user accounts, or via personal messengers. Accessing cloud services or maintaining contacts is frequently limited or completely disabled.
Experts warn that monitoring is pervasive. Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent and current security consultant, stated that in China, “it is a state of comprehensive surveillance”. Both Gage and Theresa Payton, a former White House IT chief, emphasized that US representatives are extensively briefed before traveling, warning that virtually all communication could be monitored. Officials must anticipate that both private conversations and digital activities are subject to surveillance.
The precautions extend even to seemingly mundane tasks, such as charging mobile phones. US authorities have warned for years against connecting to unknown USB ports or using foreign charging systems, as manipulated hardware can be used to steal data or install malware-a practice known as “Juice Jacking”. Consequently, US delegates traveling to high-risk nations often carry only specifically authorized chargers and external batteries.
For highly sensitive discussions, US authorities also establish temporary secure zones abroad, known as SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities). These are often improvised, portable rooms, such as within a hotel room, designed to prevent electronic eavesdropping. When conducting calls, for example, the President would have to use such a designated space.
These extensive security measures necessitate that delegations periodically revert to analog working methods, increasing the use of physical paper documents, according to reporting from Fox News.
Western intelligence and cybersecurity experts characterize China’s methods as a combination of classic espionage, cyberattacks, technical surveillance, and information gathering through personal relationships. While many nations engage in espionage, the Chinese system is considered particularly comprehensive and highly technology-driven. For instance, a document issued by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre reported that “state-sponsored Chinese cyber actors have continuously adapted their tactics and techniques in recent years”. Specifically, attackers from China often exploit networks derived from compromised end-user devices belonging to companies and private individuals-such as routers, smart-home gadgets, or personal computers-to discreetly spy on targets and obscure any trail. Although the Chinese government consistently denies charges of systematic espionage, claiming instead that they are themselves targets of Western cyberattacks.
