'You should check if there is a backdoor': Xi Jinping jokes about spying while gifting phones to President Lee

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare public jest about spying when presenting two smartphones to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung over the weekend, a lighthearted exchange that gained huge media traction in Seoul.

The humourous moment occurred on Saturday during a gift exchange on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, marking Xi's first visit to South Korea in over ten years.

Xi gave President Lee two Xiaomi smartphones featuring Korean-made displays. Lee initiated the playful exchange by asking, "Is the communication line secure?" This prompted Xi to point at the devices and reply, "You should check if there is a backdoor," referencing secret monitoring software, which drew laughter from the South Korean President.

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The brief banter about a typically sensitive topic was unusual for the reserved Chinese leader, leading to heavy media coverage, with headlines like one from the Seoul Shinmun reading, "Xi bursts into laughter after Lee jokes about security of Xiaomi Phones." The exchange also went viral online, with many users expressing surprise.

Lee’s spokesman, Kim Nam-joon, told AFP that the joke was only possible because the two leaders had developed "personal chemistry" during their two days of encounters. He also said that Lee had not ruled out using the gifted phones, which were intended for both him and his wife.