INTERNACIONAL
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
INTERNACIONAL
Honduras cuestiona audiencia de la CIDH sobre denuncias relacionadas con el juicio político
La representante del Estado de Honduras, Marlen Talbott reiteró durante la audiencia que el país mantiene su compromiso con la promoción y protección de los derechos humanos y aseguró que continuará cooperando con la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) dentro de las competencias establecidas por el Sistema Interamericano.
Sin embargo, explicó que, tras analizar la solicitud presentada, el Estado concluyó que esta excede la finalidad prevista en los artículos 66 al 70 del Reglamento de la CIDH. Informó que Honduras presentó formalmente su inconformidad ante la Comisión y que los argumentos oficiales serán remitidos a la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores para su respuesta por los canales diplomáticos correspondientes.
Talbott sostuvo que las modalidades de audiencia contempladas en el artículo 62 del Reglamento de la CIDH tienen objetivos específicos, entre ellos el seguimiento de recomendaciones y la recepción de información general sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en un Estado. Desde esa perspectiva, señaló que este mecanismo no debería utilizarse para debatir controversias individuales o procesos judiciales concretos.
La representación del Estado argumentó además que utilizar una audiencia pública para analizar sentencias de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, emitir valoraciones sobre actuaciones estatales o referirse a procesos de supervisión en curso no corresponde a la naturaleza de este mecanismo. Según la postura oficial, ello resulta incompatible con el artículo 66 del reglamento de la Comisión y podría interferir con los procedimientos institucionales del Sistema Interamericano.
Honduras expresó que el uso de una audiencia de monitoreo para abordar controversias individuales, contraviene el principio de subsidiariedad, que establece que los mecanismos internacionales actúan de forma complementaria a las instituciones nacionales. El Gobierno también sostuvo que la CIDH debió examinar previamente la compatibilidad de la solicitud con su reglamento antes de admitir la audiencia.
En esa línea, el procurador general de la República, Dagoberto Aspra, declaró a Infobae que Honduras mantiene una posición de respeto hacia la CIDH, aunque manifestó que el Estado no comparte el enfoque adoptado para la convocatoria y considera que la actuación del organismo debe ajustarse a las disposiciones de su reglamento y a la jurisprudencia del Sistema Interamericano.
En contraste, el abogado y analista en derechos humanos Joaquín Mejía cuestionó la postura del Gobierno y defendió las atribuciones de la Comisión Interamericana. A su juicio, el Estado hondureño debería actuar con mayor cuidado al designar a sus representantes en este tipo de audiencias internacionales.
Mejía calificó como “un ridículo” la estrategia del Estado de intentar, según su criterio, deslegitimar la audiencia y poner en duda las facultades de la CIDH. El analista sostuvo que la Comisión tiene la potestad de convocar este tipo de espacios para conocer información sobre posibles afectaciones a los derechos humanos y afirmó que el debate debería centrarse en responder al contenido de las denuncias presentadas y no en cuestionar la competencia del organismo.
El procurador Aspra, reiteró a Infobae , que “Honduras no contempla desligarse de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos y reiteró que el Estado mantiene una posición de respeto hacia el organismo”. A su vez señala que, la postura presentada responde a una diferencia sobre el enfoque de la audiencia y no a un desconocimiento de las funciones de la CIDH,
Corresponsal:Desde Tegucigalpa, Honduras
INTERNACIONAL
SEE IT: Michigan Dem predicts far-left El-Sayed will win Senate race after backing his primary rival
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Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is confident that far-left Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed will defeat Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the race to replace him in the Senate, despite having endorsed El-Sayed’s primary rival, Rep. Haley Stevens.
El-Sayed, known as a progressive insurgent, will go head-to-head with Michigan’s Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in the upcoming midterm elections. El-Sayed’s victory marks yet another win for the left-wing Democrats in this year’s primaries that have been battling to defeat the current Democratic establishment.
«I think if you look at the issues broadly, the differences between Abdul El-Sayed and Rogers when it comes to fighting for families in Michigan, it’s pretty broad,» Peters said to Fox News Digital when asked if his far-left positions could give Republicans a boost in Michigan.
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Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, films a social media video at a pool party for content creators supporting his campaign, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
He continued, «And in the end, that’s why he will prevail.»
Peters’ endorsement of Stevens over El-Sayed was part of a broader effort by mainstream Democrats to beat out another progressive candidate, as Republicans largely viewed El-Sayed winning as a boost for their party’s chances to flip Michigan’s Senate seat. Rogers told Fox News Digital in an interview prior to the primary results that he would «beat either one of those candidates,» but that El-Sayed has «his own special sauce of crazy.»
The race between Stevens and El-Sayed was strenuous as it became a determining factor of whether Democrats could win the majority back in the Senate. More than $80 million was poured into this primary, qualifying it as the most expensive Democratic Senate nomination race in history.
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Rep. Haley Stevens and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed are vying for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Michigan. (Scott Olson/Getty Images; Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
Republicans have speculated that the turn to nominating Democratic socialist candidates indicates that the current Democratic establishment is losing its grip in these congressional races.
Peters pushed back on this claim, arguing that the results aren’t reflective of the entire party as this is «nothing new» for the state.
«Michigan is a very diverse state, and if you recall, Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton many years ago in a primary in Michigan, so this is nothing new,» Peters said.
Peters argued the result was consistent with Michigan’s political history, pointing to Bernie Sanders’ upset over Hillary Clinton in the state’s 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Sanders endorsed El-Sayed in his Senate primary to defeat Stevens.
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U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, greet the crowd after El-Sayed spoke at The People V. The Powerful rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026 in Detroit, Mich. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department Director, would be the first Muslim senator. He has has previously called for defunding the police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is also a strong critic of Israel, labeling the country’s actions as genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Peters declined to weigh in on where he falls on El-Sayed’s policy positions — like defunding the police — despite expressing confidence the Democratic nominee will defeat Rogers.
«I’m not on the ballot, so I don’t have to make those kinds of statements,» Peters said.
El-Sayed and Rogers, who ran uncontested in his primary, will compete for the swing state’s Senate seat on Nov. 3 in midterm elections.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
midterm elections, democrats senate, bernie sanders, michigan, democrats elections
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