Overview
- During a filmed gift exchange at the APEC meetings in Gyeongju, Xi Jinping presented two Xiaomi smartphones to President Lee Jae-myung.
- When Lee asked if the devices were secure, Xi replied that he should check whether there is a “backdoor,” prompting laughter from both delegations.
- South Korean media and social platforms amplified the rare lighthearted moment from Xi, with clips drawing wide attention over the weekend.
- Xi’s trip was his first visit to South Korea in more than a decade, and Seoul officials said the exchange reflected closer personal chemistry after several summit encounters.
- The choice of Xiaomi handsets, reportedly with Korean-made displays, spotlighted tech symbolism and renewed discussion of security concerns around Chinese devices, with no policy shifts reported.