South Korean President Jokes About Xiaomi Phone Security with Xi Jinping⁠ ⁠ It’s not often that Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen laughing on camera, especially about a topic as sensitive as cybersecurity. But South Korean President Lee Jae Myung managed to make it happen during a gift exchange at the recent APEC summit in Gyeongju.⁠ ⁠ As Xi handed Lee two Xiaomi smartphones equipped with Korean-made displays, Lee cracked, “Is the communication line secure?”⁠ Xi smiled, then replied, “You should check if there is a backdoor,” referencing long-standing concerns over spyware and surveillance in Chinese-made tech.⁠ ⁠ The lighthearted moment was caught on camera and quickly went viral in South Korea. The Seoul Shinmun’s headline captured the buzz perfectly:⁠ “Xi bursts into laughter after Lee jokes about security of Xiaomi phones.”⁠ The encounter took place on the sidelines of Xi’s first visit to South Korea in over a decade. Despite tense regional dynamics and suspicions around Chinese...