US officials face digital lockdown as Trump arrives in China

By Morgan PhillipsThursday May 14, 2026

When President Donald Trump heads to China this week with hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials in tow, many of them will intentionally leave one of the most familiar tools of public life at home: their everyday cellphones. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

As Trump and his delegation prepare for the trip, U.S. officials are once again relying on tightly controlled communications practices meant to reduce the chances of surveillance, hacking or unwanted data collection in a country Washington sees as one of the world’s most hostile cyber arenas.

That means stripped-down “clean” devices, temporary laptops and heavily restricted networks — safeguards that can turn even ordinary work into a maze of logistical hurdles. Messages that would normally move instantly through encrypted apps or synced devices are often funneled through controlled channels, temporary accounts or passed along in person.

Contacts vanish. Cloud access is curtailed. Some officials go days without their usual digital trail.

Current and former officials say the caution reflects a long-held view inside the U.S. government: anything taken into China — whether phones, laptops, tablets or even hotel Wi-Fi — should be assumed vulnerable.

“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 — both in person and digitally — could be monitored,” said Theresa Payton, former White House chief information officer and CEO of cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solutions. “And to conduct themselves accordingly.”

With Trump set for high-stakes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the digital precautions also highlight the deeper distrust shaping relations between Washington and Beijing, where concerns about cyber activity, espionage and surveillance now thread through nearly every layer of official contact.

The security measures are not limited to government personnel. Trump’s delegation is also expected to include executives from major U.S. companies, among them Apple, Boeing, Qualcomm and BlackRock — firms that sit near the center of the economic and technological ties between the two countries.

In Washington, officials are often told to leave their phones behind before entering places such as the Chinese Embassy. The same concerns intensify when traveling to China itself, where U.S. officials operate on the assumption that devices, networks and even hotel rooms may be monitored.

Even something as routine as charging a device can raise alarms.

Federal cybersecurity guidance has long cautioned travelers against plugging devices into unfamiliar USB ports or untrusted charging systems, warning that compromised hardware can be used to steal data or install malicious software in a tactic commonly known as “juice jacking.”

For that reason, officials heading to high-risk countries often carry preapproved charging gear, portable battery packs and government-issued accessories rather than trusting local infrastructure.

“There are no safe electronic communications in China,” Gage said, adding that officials are advised to keep digital use to the bare minimum required for the mission.

The Chinese government has denied accusations 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 required—and will never require—enterprises or individuals to collect or store data in violation of the law.”

Payton said travelers may also receive temporary devices built with known “golden images,” enabling security teams to check whether a device was changed or accessed during the trip.

“You may see executives issued loaner phones with a known ‘golden image,’ meaning security teams can compare the device before and after use to see if it’s been tampered with,” she said.

“There may be controlled ‘safe zones’ set up where officials can communicate back to the U.S., but everything is tightly managed,” Payton added.

When the conversations turn especially sensitive, the security operation becomes even more elaborate.

U.S. officials traveling abroad frequently use temporary sensitive compartmented information facilities, or SCIFs — secure rooms designed to block electronic surveillance and eavesdropping. During major diplomatic trips, those spaces can be installed inside hotels or other controlled settings.

“The White House Military Office and communications teams create controlled spaces where they can monitor both physical and digital access to ensure sensitive conversations remain secure,” Payton said.

The result can feel strikingly low-tech for a modern presidential visit. Paper files become more common, digital access is narrowed and aides used to constant connectivity often work through tightly managed channels.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. 

For years, U.S. officials have warned that Chinese cyber espionage campaigns have targeted American government agencies, critical infrastructure, defense contractors and telecommunications networks. 

Intelligence officials have accused Beijing-linked hackers of penetrating federal systems, power grids and water utilities, while also trying repeatedly to gather intelligence on senior U.S. officials and policymakers.

“China will conduct extensive research on every member of the U.S. delegation — from senior officials down to junior personnel,” Gage said, describing the type of targeting officials are warned about before traveling.

Payton said the visibility of a presidential trip only raises the stakes.

“This is a well-publicized event, so you have to assume everything from nation states to opportunistic actors may be trying to listen in,” she said.

The issue came into sharp public focus in 2023, when a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon crossed the continental United States before the U.S. military shot it down after it passed over sensitive military sites. American officials later said the balloon was tied to a broader surveillance effort linked to Beijing.

More recently, federal authorities have warned about advanced China-linked cyber groups such as Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon, which officials say have targeted critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks in ways that could aid espionage or disruption in the event of a future conflict.