this post was submitted on 15 May 2026
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[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 5 points 58 minutes ago

For trump China does not need any secret spying devices. They know his motivation. They just need to flash their bankroll.

[–] Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 20 points 2 hours ago

Trump probably thinks he’s above the rules, so of course he’d want to keep the solid gold microphone Xi gave him with the plaque that says “The Greatest Speeches Ever.”

He probably thinks it would look great on his desk.

[–] FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world 15 points 2 hours ago

I have $20 that says Drumpf keeps some tacky piece of shit with a bug in it

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

What about the exclusive one off Trump phone? Does Trump have to throw that away too?

[–] Folstar@lemmus.org 55 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

The Chinese probably gave them normal gifts, pins, and phones because why waste money on tech when top secret files are stored in the bathroom and POTUS tweets sensitive information?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

probably want his launch codes.

[–] Legisign@europe.pub 7 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

It’s tRump. He probably has the codes written in a post-it note that’s attached to his bedroom TV frame.

[–] hume_lemmy@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

We can at least hope that somebody, even in this administration, knew better than to give him the real codes.

"Yes sir, here's the nuclear codes: FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8."

[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 1 points 29 minutes ago

We all know the nuclear codes, he says them on TV all the time. Person, Man, Woman, Camera, TV, Squirrel

The dementia test is also the only code he can still remember. If they ever change the test he'll fail.

[–] Rubanski@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 hours ago

Beginning with FCKGW like fuck G.W. (George W. Bush)

[–] Tiral@lemmy.zip -2 points 5 hours ago

Yeah right. The CCP is probably the most decitful government in the world. As bad as the US government is (and it is) the CCP follows through with nothing. I thought it was pretty funny that they had American flags all over, it's illegal every other day if the year.

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 11 points 5 hours ago

I know people are reacting like its expected anyway because of the amount of espionage that goes on, but this is honestly more of a cold war era tactic.

Why would China risk souring relations right after a major diplomatic trip with some throw away gadgets that any competent military security would find immediately and proceed to document it?

China can just get that high level information via a million other ways including Trump himself. They probably have a truthsocial scrapper that automatically tells them exactly what Trump is gonna do next by deciphering his insane posts lol.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 32 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Throw away air force one and the president while you are at it.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 4 points 4 hours ago

Trump is as leaky as a sieve actually telling him anything would constitute a national security violation so he probably doesn't know anything.

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 7 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Seems a bit extreme. Its not like they were vising israel

[–] Delascas@feddit.uk 12 points 7 hours ago

Ironic . . as I use a burner phone when traveling to the USA.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 11 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Why throw them away?

Good counterintelligence would be to get as many as possible and reverse engineer them.

[–] deathbird@mander.xyz 25 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I wouldn't be surprised if we fired everybody who could do that.

[–] Longylonglong@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 hours ago

Yeah that's pretty much admitting that you are too dumb to handle them

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 47 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

Uh duh? Pretty normal procedure when visiting foreign governments.

However the problem isn't the support staff, it's the moron leaders that are the problem. I bet 100 bucks that Trump kept at least a gift that contains a spy equipment.

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 13 points 7 hours ago

MAGA's dear leader is the spy equipment

[–] auntieclokwise@lemmy.world 32 points 10 hours ago

Him? Keep gifts that almost certainly contain spy equipment? He'd never do that. Certainly not giant, 747 sized ones.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Guess what I would do if I was a (foreign) guest of importance to any US president?

And if I was visiting Trump, I would desinfect ASAP, too.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 3 points 6 hours ago

I bet all of them will end up in Trump's treasury.

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

No shit? Them and every other country with resources does the same. They even send vendors and HUMINT collectors to all sorts of conferences all year round trying to pass off devices and keep tabs on trends. Collecting in their home country is just expected. The weak links are the idiots that don’t take it seriously, sneak a personal device on a trip that they lose sight of at any point or even just become too close in proximity to a collector and then carry it back home with an exploited device and credentials.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 73 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I assume China (or any other government) can get top secret intel by simply bribing Trump and asking him.

[–] orenj@leminal.space 15 points 13 hours ago

what a upsetting thing to be nodding my head to. god i wish i had a president with dignity

[–] brachiosaurus@mander.xyz 112 points 17 hours ago (9 children)

Sounds like the US use gifts, pins and burner phones to spy on foreign governments

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 3 points 6 hours ago

That Thing is actually pretty cool tech, particularly for 1945.

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 hours ago

That’s well known. We even did that with the original iPod back in the day.

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 48 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

My brother-in-law traveled a lot for work, from the early nineties, to the 20-teens.

He visited, China, Russia, the U.S., India, all over Southeast Asia, Australia. Maybe South America, but not sure. Anyway, the point is he visited a lot of places, and the big ones fairly routinely. China is the only country, where his company had a whole list of requirements. He had to leave his personal phone, any personal electronics, and his work laptop at home. (They provided him a phone and laptop that would immediately be turned over once he returned and he could NOT log onto the company VPN with the laptop/phone they gave him and had to have his work email forwarded. )

They gave him money to buy a new suit before he went over there and to replace his luggage and clothes when he came back, because it was all discarded.

He said it was not so much government spying but industrial espionage. And he just worked in human resources.

I was in the Navy and visited Hong Kong a couple of times and they never said boo to me outside of the usual, "Loose lips sink ships." spiel we got at every port.

They let him take his phone to Russia, but they did made him take a different work laptop, but that laptop could access the company VPN. He said there is was more about the government spying. I did not visit any Russian port while in the Navy.

[–] KryptonNerd@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 hours ago

Wait why would you need new clothes?

[–] kahnclusions@lemmy.ca 10 points 10 hours ago

My past few employers have all had similar policies, it’s common in tech. I cannot take any company equipment over the Chinese border and we are strongly discouraged against bringing any personal equipment. The company has special burner laptops and phones for the few cases where we actually need a business trip to China.

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[–] jacksilver@lemmy.world 47 points 16 hours ago

I mean, there is a history of a lot of nations doing this.

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[–] leoj@piefed.social 262 points 20 hours ago (28 children)

But keeping a jet aircraft from another nation is totally ok... got it :)

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[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 142 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

One of the most sensible things I’ve seen from the administration.

Kinda surprised Trump was OK with it tbh…

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 162 points 20 hours ago (6 children)

Oh you know he didnt have to throw his special gifts away..,

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