The covert nature of international espionage is widely understood, yet world leaders almost invariably avoid discussing it openly. This makes a recent incident particularly noteworthy.
However, during a recent weekend meeting, the subject became the unexpected punchline of a joke shared between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The humorous exchange unfolded as President Xi presented Mr. Lee with two mobile phones—one for himself and one for his wife—during their discussions in Gyeongju, South Korea. A spokesman for President Xi noted that the phones were made by the Chinese firm Xiaomi, featuring displays crafted in Korea, a detail observed by news cameras capturing the leaders’ interaction.
President Lee, after admiring one of the boxed devices, posed a direct question about its security features.
President Xi responded with a laugh, quipping, “You can check if there’s a backdoor,” referencing surveillance software. This unexpected remark led to President Lee laughing and clapping enthusiastically.
This public jest was remarkable, not only because President Xi seldom speaks extemporaneously but also because it broke an unwritten diplomatic rule. John Delury, a Seoul-based historian specializing in China, pointed out that global leaders typically maintain a pretense that covert operations between nations do not occur.
“What’s interesting here,” Delury, author of a book on a 1950s CIA campaign in China, explained, “is that while they’re discussing this in public, they’re not explicitly admitting mutual espionage. Instead, they’re engaging in an ironic and playful acknowledgment of the secretive world of intelligence, choosing to laugh it off.”
For a considerable time, the United States and its allies have expressed concerns that Chinese technology could be exploited for spying. Countries like the U.S., Australia, and Britain have already prohibited Huawei, a major Chinese tech company, from their 5G networks, citing its perceived ties to China’s Communist Party.
The previous Trump administration had previously blacklisted Xiaomi, cautioning American businesses that engaging with the smartphone and electric car manufacturer could lead to exclusion from future Pentagon contracts.
Xiaomi subsequently successfully challenged this blacklisting in court, asserting its independence from the Chinese military.
According to Mr. Delury, President Lee’s interaction with President Xi at the economic summit appeared to acknowledge prevalent concerns regarding Chinese technology and its potential for surveillance.
“However, through humor and irony, he ultimately downplayed these concerns, essentially saying, ‘Thank you for the phone, and it’s wonderful that Korean and Chinese companies are collaborating on its creation,’” Delury added.
This lighthearted exchange underscored the leaders’ commitment to fostering economic ties. Such efforts pose a significant challenge for South Korea, a crucial ally of the U.S., especially amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. Notably, during a separate meeting in Gyeongju the previous week, President Lee had presented President Trump with South Korea’s highest honor and a replica of an ancient gold crown.
Domestically, President Lee has faced criticism from a conservative opposition party, which alleges he is aligning too closely with China. His predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, had previously voiced worries about Chinese interference in South Korean elections, accusations that China has consistently denied.
Governments typically only admit to spying on allies under duress. For instance, in 2013, following Edward Snowden’s revelations that the United States had monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone for over a decade, President Barack Obama assured Ms. Merkel such surveillance would cease.
Patrick F. Walsh, a professor of intelligence and security studies at Charles Sturt University in Australia, noted that mobile phones are unusual diplomatic gifts due to inherent security risks.
It’s highly unlikely President Lee will use the Xiaomi phones for official communications, Walsh suggested.
“I can’t imagine him using this phone to communicate with the Japanese prime minister or Washington,” Mr. Walsh stated, adding, “He might, however, give it to a granddaughter or as a souvenir.”