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Inside the ‘digital lockdown’ for US officials as Trump arrives in China
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As President Donald Trump and hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials prepare to travel to China, many will leave behind one of the most basic tools of modern government: their everyday cellphones.
Instead, officials entering China often travel with stripped-down «clean» devices, temporary laptops and tightly controlled communications systems designed to minimize the risk of surveillance, hacking or data collection in what U.S. officials consider one of the world’s most aggressive cyber environments.
The precautions can transform even routine tasks into logistical headaches. Messages that would normally travel instantly through encrypted apps or synced devices are instead routed through controlled channels, temporary accounts or relayed in person.
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Contacts disappear. Cloud access is limited. Some officials operate for days without their normal digital footprint.
Current and former officials say the measures reflect a longstanding assumption inside the U.S. government: anything brought into China — phones, laptops, tablets or even hotel Wi-Fi connections — should be treated as potentially compromised.
As President Donald Trump and hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials prepare to travel to China this week, many will leave behind one of the most basic tools of modern government: their everyday phones. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
«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.»
Ahead of Trump’s high-stakes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the digital precautions underscore the broader mistrust shaping the relationship between Washington and Beijing, where cybersecurity, espionage and surveillance concerns now permeate nearly every aspect of official engagement.
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The precautions will extend beyond government officials. The delegation traveling with Trump also is expected to include executives from major American firms, including Apple, Boeing, Qualcomm and BlackRock — companies operating at the center of the U.S.–China economic and technological relationship.
In Washington, officials are often told to leave their phones behind when entering places like the Chinese Embassy. Those same concerns are amplified when traveling to China itself, where U.S. officials operate under the assumption that devices, networks and even hotel rooms could be monitored.
Even charging a phone can become a security concern.
Federal cybersecurity guidance has long warned travelers to avoid plugging devices into unknown USB ports or untrusted charging systems because compromised hardware can potentially be used to extract data or install malicious software — a tactic commonly referred to as «juice jacking.»
As a result, officials traveling to high-risk countries often carry preapproved charging equipment, external battery packs and government-issued accessories rather than relying on local infrastructure.
«There are no safe electronic communications in China,» Gage said, noting officials are advised to limit digital activity to only what is necessary for the mission.
The Chinese government has rejected claims 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.»
«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.» (iStock)
Payton said officials may also be issued temporary devices configured with known «golden images,» allowing security teams to detect whether a device has been altered 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 sensitive conversations need to happen, the logistics become even more complex.
U.S. officials traveling overseas frequently rely on temporary sensitive compartmented information facilities, or SCIFs — secure spaces designed to prevent electronic surveillance and eavesdropping. Those facilities can be established inside hotels or other controlled locations during major diplomatic trips.
«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 precautions can create a surprisingly analog environment for a modern presidential delegation. Paper documents become more common, digital access is restricted and aides accustomed to constant communication often operate through tightly controlled channels.
Officials entering China often travel with stripped-down «clean» devices, temporary laptops and tightly controlled communications systems designed to minimize the risk of surveillance, hacking or data collection in what U.S. officials consider one of the world’s most aggressive cyber environments. (iStock)
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
U.S. officials have spent years warning about Chinese cyber espionage campaigns targeting American government agencies, critical infrastructure, defense contractors and telecommunications networks.
Intelligence officials have accused Beijing-linked hackers of infiltrating everything from federal systems to power grids and water utilities, while repeatedly attempting to collect information on senior American 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 level of intelligence targeting officials are warned about before traveling.
Payton said the high-profile nature of a presidential visit only increases the risk.
«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.
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The issue exploded into public view in 2023, when a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon crossed the continental United States before being shot down by the U.S. military after traversing sensitive military sites. U.S. officials later said the balloon was part of a broader surveillance effort linked to Beijing.
More recently, federal officials have warned about sophisticated China-linked cyber groups such as Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon, which U.S. authorities say targeted critical infrastructure and telecommunications systems in ways that could support espionage or disruption during a future conflict.
security, laptops, cybercrime, xi jinping, apple
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Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor who has frequently criticized President Donald Trump, is poised to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister after emerging as the only candidate to replace outgoing Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Burnham, 56, received nominations from 322 of Labour’s 403 Members of Parliament on the first day of the leadership process, far surpassing the 81 required to enter the contest and leaving potential rivals with virtually no path to qualify.
He is expected to be formally confirmed as Labour leader Friday and appointed prime minister by King Charles III on Monday after Starmer’s resignation.
Britain’s parliamentary system allows the governing party to replace its leader — and therefore the prime minister — without holding a national election. The next nationwide election does not have to be held until 2029.
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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of the Labour Party reacts after being declared the winner in the by-election at The Edge where votes were being counted on June 19, 2026, in Wigan, England. (Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
Burnham’s rapid path to Downing Street is drawing criticism from political opponents and foreign policy analysts who say he has not faced the scrutiny that would normally accompany either a competitive party leadership race or a general election campaign.
«Andy Burnham is the least scrutinized incoming U.K. Prime Minister of recent times,» Alan Mendoza, executive director of the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
«He has faced neither a general election nor an internal party leadership debate in order to establish his positions for wider consumption,» Mendoza said. «He wasn’t even a candidate at the last general election.»
Burnham did, however, win 54.8% of the vote in June’s Makerfield parliamentary by-election, defeating Reform UK’s candidate and returning to the House of Commons after nearly a decade away. Before returning to Parliament, he had been directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester three times.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued in a previous interview with Fox News Digital that Burnham should seek a new national mandate.
«The public are tired of the game of musical chairs that’s been taking place in 10 Downing Street over the last decade,» Farage said.
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a news conference in Westminster, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025. (Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Mr. Burnham will come in, he will have no mandate,» he added. «I don’t even know what his policies are. Literally, I don’t. So, I think for all of those reasons, there ought to be a general election and a fresh mandate.»
Farage made the comments before resigning his parliamentary seat this month to trigger an Aug. 13 by-election in Clacton, where he plans to run again. Farage said he wanted voters to judge him amid parliamentary scrutiny over allegations involving gifts from wealthy supporters. He has denied wrongdoing. Police are separately investigating donations made to Reform UK, but no arrests have been announced.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Burnham grew up in north-west England between Liverpool and Manchester. The son of a British Telecom engineer and a receptionist, he joined the Labour Party as a teenager, studied at Cambridge University and was first elected to Parliament in 2001, according to The Associated Press.
He rose through Labour’s ranks during the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and served in several senior positions, including as culture secretary and health secretary.
Burnham ran unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership in 2010 and again in 2015. He left Parliament in 2017 after winning election as mayor of Greater Manchester, a regional position he used to build a national political profile.
A British Union flag flies from a souvenir stall near the Houses of Parliament in London, U.K., Oct. 27, 2025. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As mayor, Burnham promoted greater regional control over transportation and public services. His administration brought Greater Manchester’s fragmented bus system under public control as part of the Bee Network, a regional transportation project that became one of his signature achievements.
He also became closely associated with the campaign for accountability over the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, in which 97 Liverpool soccer fans were killed. Burnham supported victims’ families in their long-running effort to expose police failures and rebut false accusations originally directed at supporters.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces the timeline for his resignation after Andy Burnham’s decisive victory last week in the Makerfield by-election outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. (Reuters/Jack Taylor )
What has Andy Burnham said about President Trump?
Burnham has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump, accusing him of contributing to global instability while warning that Britain risks importing the polarization of American politics. In a 2025 interview with The London Economic, Burnham compared Trump’s return to office to the turmoil caused in Britain by former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
«The instability that Liz Truss brought to Britain, I think Trump is bringing to the U.S. and the world,» Burnham said in the interview. He also described several of Trump’s decisions, including his approach to the Russia-Ukraine war, as «out of order.»
President Trump and King Charles shared a laugh outside the White House ahead of a state dinner. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
Burnham’s criticism of Trump dates back to the president’s first election in 2016. After Trump’s victory, Burnham described some of his rhetoric as «deeply troubling» but argued that politicians on the left should examine why working-class voters had turned to him rather than simply blaming the electorate.
«We have to look closer to home,» Burnham said, according to The Guardian.
His language became sharper following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. As the attack unfolded, Burnham wrote on X that «any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.»
More recently, during his Makerfield parliamentary campaign, Burnham warned that Britain was moving toward «the politics of the United States of America,» which he described as «a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don’t work together anymore.»
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Despite those attacks, Burnham has stopped short of advocating a rupture with Washington. According to Time, he supported Starmer’s effort to maintain a working relationship with Trump, while arguing that Britain must be prepared to disagree with the United States.
«Obviously, the relationship is important to the U.K., but not to the point where we just go along with anything they say,» Burnham said.
Trump has already responded dismissively to the likely incoming British leader. Asked in June what he knew about Burnham, Trump said, «I don’t know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.» Trump added that he had heard Burnham was «extremely liberal» and suggested that he would oppose expanded North Sea oil drilling, before declaring that «the U.K. is dying,» according ton Reuters.
What are Andy Burnham’s political views?
Burnham is generally regarded as being to the left of Starmer. He has said he wants to take what he calls «Manchesterism» nationwide, describing an approach that places «people and place before party» and transfers greater attention and authority from London to regions that have historically received less investment.
He has emphasized infrastructure, housing, transportation and regional economic development, while arguing against what he calls «trickle-down economics.» The Associated Press reported that his priorities have also included vocational education, youth employment, lower energy bills and cheaper rail travel.
Mendoza said that Burnham’s past positions and recent statements suggest he would move the British government further to the left.
«What we can be certain of is that he will be looking to impose a fairly radical left-wing agenda for the country based on his past beliefs and recent pronouncements,» Mendoza said.
«In no particular order, these include introduction of wealth taxes, changes to the electoral system, a vast expansion of social housing and attacks on hitherto allies of the U.K. like Israel.»
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Pro-Palestinian protesters hold a banner and chant at at anti-Israel protest in London Dec. 9 2023., (Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Burnham has sought to counter concerns about his limited recent national security experience.
He has pledged continuity in Britain’s commitments to NATO, its nuclear deterrent, the United States and Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.
He has also called for Britain to rebuild its military capabilities and domestic defense industry in response to what he described as an increasingly dangerous international environment.
On the war in Gaza, Burnham has criticized Labour’s earlier response and argued that the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire. The Associated Press reported that he has raised the possibility of additional sanctions and trade restrictions involving goods linked to Israeli settlements. Burnham has also condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel.
Burnham has not served in Britain’s national government since 2010 and spent almost a decade outside Parliament, meaning his record is far more developed on domestic and regional policy than on current foreign policy and national security questions.
When could Britain hold a general election?
Burnham would not be required to call an immediate general election. Labour won a large parliamentary majority under Starmer in July 2024, allowing the party to remain in power until 2029 unless Burnham decides to seek an earlier mandate.
Mendoza predicted that Burnham could attempt to capitalize on the momentum surrounding his arrival at Downing Street.
«As he is never likelier to be more popular than on day one of his premiership, we should also be on the watch for his calling of an early general election in order to capitalize on this unique moment,» Mendoza said.
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Britain’s Labour Party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, June 19, 2026. (Jon Super/AP)
Burnham would inherit an economy facing weak growth, pressure on public finances, strained health and welfare services and continuing concern over the cost of living.
He would also become Britain’s seventh prime minister in just over a decade, reflecting the rapid political turnover at Downing Street since the country’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
andy burnham, united kingdom, europe, donald trump
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Lindy Li, a former top Democratic fundraiser, believes President Joe Biden is only doing himself a disservice by promising the public another explanation of why he decided to run for re-election in 2024 despite mounting concerns about his age and cognitive performance.
In her view, Biden’s upcoming memoir, «Promise Me, America,» will only serve to reopen painful wounds that Democrats have struggled to move past since the 2024 election loss. In a way, she believes the book is a bit of a microcosm of Biden’s presidency.
«They’re thinking, ‘Why can’t you just shut the f— up?’ Prior to me leaving the party, they wanted nothing to do with this guy. It was so bad that when, finally, Biden exited on July 21, there was no goodbye party other than a staffer one in the Rose Garden. There was nothing,» Li said.
«Jill has him writing books that no one wants to read instead of fully enjoying his retirement,» Li said, referring to Jill Biden, the former first lady.
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Former President Biden was dogged throughout his term by rumors of his purported cognitive decline. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
«Just like she had him out running for president — a presidency that no one wanted, not even Democrats — instead of enjoying his retirement. He should have been in retirement 10, 20 years ago, but they need the money.»
Biden described his upcoming book in a post to X Wednesday morning.
«It’s about the challenges we face as a nation. About the decisions I made and why I made them,» Biden said, igniting mockery on social media. «It’s about why I chose to run for reelection and why I chose to step aside.»
«The first lie of Joe Biden’s book launch: ‘I’ve written a book,’» conservative communicator Steve Guest wrote.
«Joe Biden couldn’t sign his own pardons. Now he’s ‘written’ a book, which Democrats forced him to release after the midterms so he wouldn’t be in the news to remind people how bad he was,» wrote Outkick founder Clay Travis. «Who in the world is buying this book?»
«Who do we think wrote this book,» Daily Wire editor-in-chief Brent Scher wondered.
«Did the autopen write this too,» Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith questioned.
Li, who is publishing a new book of her own, «Unburdened,» later this year, was privy to many of the party’s internal discussions, research and panic behind the scenes, which indicated Biden enjoyed only shaky support even among his own camp long before he ultimately dropped out of the 2024 election.
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Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser, poses for a picture with former President Joe Biden at a 2023 campaign event. (Lindy Li)
In light of what she knows, Li doubts there is a way for Biden to spin his exit that won’t do further harm to his own image, an image his campaign went to great lengths to protect.
Li recalled how the Biden campaign confiscated her phone at a 2023 event.
«The [Democratic National Committee] was routinely confiscating the phones of top donors with social media followings,» Li said, referring to a party fundraising and campaign group.
«They took away my phone because they knew I was a prolific tweeter. And I posted something on Instagram that night, and a finance director from the DNC called me at around 10 or 11 that same night to instruct me to delete everything from Instagram about Biden that I posted that day.
«The reason is because [Biden] seemed infirm. He seemed weak.»
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Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser, and former President Joe Biden (Lindy Li; Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Now on this side of his presidency, Li believes he will further aggravate Democrats who have wanted to move past the 2024 election and reignite questions of why Biden wasn’t asked to step aside sooner.
«It’s very clear they were trying to hide the fact that instead of having a candidate they could be proud of, they were busy hiding a candidate that they were deeply ashamed of,» she added.
Fox News’ Ashley DiMella contributed to this report
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