It’s widely understood that nations engage in mutual espionage, which is precisely why global leaders rarely address the topic publicly.
However, a recent encounter saw China’s paramount leader, Xi Jinping, turn this sensitive subject into a diplomatic jest with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The humorous moment unfolded when Xi presented Lee with two Xiaomi cellphones—one for him, one for his wife—during their Gyeongju summit. A spokesperson noted the devices featured Chinese manufacturing and Korean-made displays, a detail shared as cameras captured the leaders’ inspection.
Lee, examining a phone still in its packaging, paused to inquire about its security features.
Xi responded with a chuckle, suggesting, ‘You can check if there’s a backdoor,’ a clear reference to surveillance software. Lee then laughed heartily and applauded, seemingly amused by the candid remark.
This interaction was particularly striking because Xi seldom deviates from prepared remarks in public. According to John Delury, a China historian in Seoul, it also broke an unwritten rule among world leaders to feign ignorance of covert operations.
Delury, who authored a book on a 1950s CIA operation in China, observed, ‘What’s fascinating is that they’re addressing this openly, yet without explicitly admitting, “I spy on you, and you spy on me.” Instead, they’re lightheartedly acknowledging the clandestine world of intelligence gathering, defusing it with humor.’
For a long time, the U.S. and its allies have expressed concerns that Chinese technology might be exploited for espionage. Countries like the United States, Australia, and Britain have notably prohibited Huawei, a major Chinese tech company, from participating in their 5G networks, citing its perceived ties to China’s Communist Party.
During the initial Trump administration, Xiaomi was placed on a restricted list, and American businesses were cautioned that engaging with the smartphone and electric car manufacturer could lead to exclusion from future Pentagon contracts.
Xiaomi subsequently prevailed in a lawsuit against the U.S. government, successfully arguing for its removal from the blacklist by asserting no ties to the Chinese military.
Delury suggested that Lee’s interaction with Xi at the international economic summit implicitly recognized the existing worries regarding Chinese products and their potential for surveillance.
“However, through humor and irony, he ultimately downplayed many of those concerns, effectively saying, ‘Thank you for the phone; it’s wonderful that Korean and Chinese companies are collaborating on this,’” Delury added.
This amicable exchange underscored both leaders’ desire to foster a stronger bilateral relationship through economic cooperation. This presents a unique challenge for South Korea, a vital U.S. ally, particularly amid increasing competition between Washington and Beijing. Notably, during a separate meeting in Gyeongju the previous week, Lee had bestowed South Korea’s highest honor upon President Trump, along with a replica of an ancient gold crown.
Domestically, Lee has encountered criticism from conservative opposition parties, who claim he is too closely aligned with China. His predecessor had also voiced apprehensions about potential Chinese interference in South Korean elections, accusations that China has consistently denied.
Governments typically only admit to spying on allies under duress. For example, in 2013, following Edward Snowden’s revelations that the United States had monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone for over ten years, President Barack Obama assured Merkel such an incident would not recur.
According to Patrick F. Walsh, a professor of intelligence and security studies at Charles Sturt University in Australia, mobile phones are an unusual diplomatic gift due to the inherent security risks.
Walsh doubts Lee will actually use the Xiaomi phones for official communications.
“I can’t envision him using this phone to communicate with the Japanese prime minister or officials in Washington,” Walsh remarked. “He’ll likely give it away, perhaps to a grandchild.”