this post was submitted on 15 May 2026
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[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 4 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

burn your clothes too...and don't forget to cleanse your intestines...you never know :D oh oh and screening for the sexually transmitted spyware.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 11 points 6 hours ago

Shit like this used to happen informally, and quietly. Now it's splashed all over the internet, only because someone wanted it to be.

[–] Greyghoster@aussie.zone 8 points 13 hours ago

But otherwise it was a great trip!

[–] Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 50 points 1 day 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.

[–] Folstar@lemmus.org 91 points 1 day ago (10 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?

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[–] FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world 37 points 1 day ago

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

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 20 points 1 day ago

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

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 6 points 1 day 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.

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago (3 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.

[–] auntieclokwise@lemmy.world 39 points 1 day ago

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

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago

MAGA's dear leader is the spy equipment

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[–] mlg@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day 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.

[–] leoj@piefed.social 303 points 2 days ago (34 children)

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

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[–] brachiosaurus@mander.xyz 132 points 1 day ago (9 children)

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

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago (7 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.

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The company i used to work for decided none of that mattered and set up a whole manufacturing plant in China. Why protect your secrets when you can just share the whole thing with China?

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

Yup. Move all the production to China to take advantage of their slave wages/conditions, and instead of passing any savings on to the consumer, they push all profits to the share holders.

That has worked out so well for us, hasn't it, especially now that we have such a hostile relationship with them.

Companies are the worst.

China's gonna own us all.

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[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] jacksilver@lemmy.world 55 points 1 day ago

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

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[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 83 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

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[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 156 points 2 days 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 172 points 2 days ago (6 children)

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

[–] leoj@piefed.social 76 points 2 days ago

Right? I was gonna say, there is no way he isn't keeping is 44k gold plated listening device.

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[–] Delascas@feddit.uk 17 points 1 day ago

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

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why throw them away?

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

[–] deathbird@mander.xyz 29 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

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[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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.

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

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

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