"We Spy Like Hell On Them": Trump Responds To Question On China Cyberattacks

US President Donald Trump openly acknowledged that the United States conducts extensive cyber operations and espionage against China. In a candid remark made to reporters aboard Air Force One after a high-stakes, two-day diplomatic summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said, "We spy like hell on them, too."

When questioned by reporters on whether he spoke to Xi about the cyberattacks that China has done in the US, Trump said, "I did. He talked about attacks that we did in China. You know, what they do, we do too."

In fact, Trump stated that he told Xi, "We do a lot of stuff to you that you don't know about."

"You're doing things to us that we probably do know about, but we do plenty. It's a double-edged sword", Trump said.

The United States and China are locked in a persistent cyber espionage and intelligence-gathering rivalry, with both nations identifying each other as their top cyber threats.

Trump's Delegation Entered China Without Personal Phones

When the US delegation was visiting China for the two-day summit, heightened cybersecurity precautions were taken. Trump and accompanying officials have left behind personal cell phones.

They have instead chosen to take restricted "clean" devices, temporary laptops and controlled communication systems designed to reduce risks of surveillance and hacking in China, Fox News reported.

Officials told the outlet that the measures are taken keeping in mind the long-standing concerns within the US government, which considers China as "one of the world's most aggressive cyber environments".

"There are no safe electronic communications in China," Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent and now director of executive protection for Safehaven Security Group, told Fox News.

"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 Fortalice Solutions.

US Officials Discarded All Objects Handed By The Chinese Into Trash Bins

Following the end of the summit, US officials discarded all Chinese-issued devices and gifts into a trash bin at the bottom of the Air Force One stairs.

The final image of the 2026 Beijing summit isn't a handshake; it's a trash bin. As the U.S. delegation prepared to board Air Force One, American staff systematically collected every item handed out by Chinese officials—including credentials, pins, and burner phones—and discarded… https://t.co/4Q5nTNW9rn pic.twitter.com/uLWNB61fFM

— UnveiledChina (@Unveiled_ChinaX) May 15, 2026

Before boarding Air Force One to return to the United States, White House staff, Secret Service personnel, and travelling journalists were required to surrender all items handed out by their Chinese hosts, such as temporary "burner" smartphones, official credentials, delegation lapel pins, commemorative gifts and souvenir bags.