Security...
There is security (Kabuki) theater, and then there is SECURITY...
US staff and press members accompanying President Donald Trump reportedly discarded materials from given by the Chinese officials before boarding Air Force One on Friday. The report highlights the deep mistrust that continues to define the US-China ties. The American officials and White House reporters threw away various items collected during the trip, including staff burner phones, credential badges, and lapel pins issued by China. The materials were reportedly dumped into a bin placed near the aircraft stairs shortly before departure from Beijing Capital Airport, according to a journalist in the White House Pool. The move comes as Donald Trump concluded his high-profile two-day visit to Beijing after meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Full article, HERE from the Economic Times of India.
The US delegation went into the trip with tight security, no personal phones, computers, or any electronic devices. Only burner phones and selected ‘clean’ computers were allowed, and they were not connected to the Internet. Also, only secure, verified charging stations were used.
All Chinese gifts, badges, pins, and commemorative items were all dumped into a trash bin at the base of the ladder, including burner phones.
A friend who has been there on business always carries a burner phone and a ‘clean’ laptop that is locked down tighter than a...well, you get the idea. And when he comes back the phone is disposed of, and the computer wiped clean and reloaded for the next trip.
This is the difference between this administration and the last one. As if people aren’t already aware of the prosecutions of leakers under this administration...
And no, security is not perfect, and never will be as long as humans are involved, but at least they are trying...
My understanding was that all the discarded "gifts" were flown back to the US on a second aircraft. Presumably for serious evaluation and discovery of any hidden items by our intelligence services.
There were reportedly assorted subtle 'jabs' by the PRC against DJT while there, but the two most blatant were in the final minutes - reportedly first, Xi handed DJT a packet of rose seeds - which at least one correspondent of mine took as a jab at the 'wanton destruction of the Rose Garden,' - never mind that most rose seeds, except for wild roses, rarely grow 'true,' as they are F1 hybrids - and even if these were true F1 hybrid seeds, the rose bushes would need to be grafted on wild root stock to do well; and second, as AF1 was being buttoned up, the official PRC news agency, again reportedly, released an caricature of DJT as an orange balloon floating away, while Xi was poking at it with a needle.
So, in a more than small way, this "clean before you leave" maneuver, done as publicly as this one was, was a nice counter punch, even if not a stop punch!