Xi Jinping's Smartphone Gift to South Korean President Sparks Humor About Cybersecurity

Nov 03, 2025 04:22 pm CST

During a rare visit to South Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented two Xiaomi smartphones to President Lee Jae Myung, making an unexpected joke about checking for "backdoors" in the devices. The lighthearted exchange at the APEC summit marked a moment of diplomatic humor between the leaders, drawing attention from South Korean media and highlighting the developing personal rapport between the two heads of state after a decade without such high-level visits.