As President Donald Trump and hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials prepare to travel to , many will leave behind one of the most basic tools of modern government: their everyday cellphones.
Instead, officials entering China often travel with stripped-down “clean” devices, temporary laptops and tightly controlled communications systems designed to minimize the risk of surveillance, hacking or data collection in what U.S. officials consider one of the worlds most aggressive cyber environments.
The precautions can transform even routine tasks into logistical headaches. Messages that would normally travel instantly through encrypted apps or synced devices are instead routed through controlled channels, temporary accounts or relayed in person.Â
Contacts disappear. Cloud access is limited. Some officials operate for days without their normal digital footprint.
Current and former officials say the measures reflect a longstanding assumption inside the U.S. government: anything brought into China â phones, laptops, tablets or even hotel Wi-Fi connections â should be treated as potentially compromised.
“China is a mass surveillance state,” said Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent and now director of executive protection for Safehaven Security Group. “Briefings for U.S. officials begin well before the president arrives, and they make clear that everything is monitored.”
“We always tell people to assume everything you say and do â both in person and digitally â could be monitored,” said Theresa Payton, former chief information officer and CEO of cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solutions. “And to conduct themselves accordingly.”
Ahead of Trumps high-stakes meetings with Chinese President , the digital precautions underscore the broader mistrust shaping the relationship between Washington and Beijing, where cybersecurity, espionage and surveillance concerns now permeate nearly every aspect of official engagement.
The precautions will extend beyond government officials. The delegation traveling with Trump also is expected to include executives from major American firms, including Apple, Boeing, Qualcomm and BlackRock â companies operating at the center of the U.S.âChina economic and technological relationship.
In Washington, officials are often told to leave their phones behind when entering places like the Chinese Embassy. Those same concerns are amplified when traveling to China itself, where U.S. officials operate under the assumption that devices, networks and even hotel rooms could be monitored.
Even charging a phone can become a security concern.
Federal cybersecurity guidance has long warned travelers to avoid plugging devices into unknown USB ports or untrusted charging systems because compromised hardware can potentially be used to extract data or install malicious software â a tactic commonly referred to as “juice jacking.”
As a result, officials traveling to high-risk countries often carry preapproved charging equipment, external battery packs and government-issued accessories rather than relying on local infrastructure.
“There are no safe electronic communications in China,” Gage said, noting officials are advised to limit digital activity to only what is necessary for the mission.
The Chinese government has rejected claims that it engages in improper surveillance.
“In China, personal privacy is protected by law,” Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Fox News Digital. “The Chinese government places a high priority on protecting data privacy and security in accordance with the law. It has never requiredâand will never requireâenterprises or individuals to collect or store data in violation of the law.”
Payton said officials may also be issued temporary devices configured with known “golden images,” allowing security teams to detect whether a device has been altered or accessed during the trip.
“You may
