Travelers on Air Force One ordered to throw away gifts, phones after China trip (opens in new tab)

it's literally the most important plane of US government

secrecy concerns about happenings on board are obvious and are just basic security procedure

---

the only question is whether there was an alternative way (on support transports) to keep anything to regift or smth

Then flag and move on. This adds nothing.

Source? I didn’t know EU officials are required to use burner phones in the US

Ten years ago, a Dutch company I worked for had a standard protocol after government delegation trips to China: every phone and laptop used on the visit was fed straight into an industrial shredder.

It's standard practice in the industry — if your company has a competent IT department — to mandate burner laptops and devices in China.

The Chinese government would be stupid to not do the exact same thing when departing the US. They aren't stupid, and they aren't going to wage war on the basis of some discarded lapel pins.

Not much different than if your cat hoarder neighbor bakes you a cake.

You politely accept it, then throw that shit in the outside garbage.