"When prime ministers travel to China, heightened security arrangements are a given as is the quiet game of cat and mouse that takes place behind the scenes as each country tests out each other's tradecraft and capabilities. Keir Starmer's team has been issued with burner phones and fresh Sim cards, and is using temporary email addresses, to prevent devices being loaded with spyware or UK government servers being hacked into."
"Burner phones, for example, are routinely used by No 10 on some trips abroad at G20 the summits in Brazil in 2024 and South Africa in 2025, for example though not on visits to allied nations or Five Eyes intelligence partners. For visits to China, these precautions have been standard for at least a decade, such is the expectation that Beijing will eavesdrop and monitor."
Prime ministerial visits to China involve heightened security and a quiet cat-and-mouse between nations testing tradecraft and capabilities. Keir Starmer's team is using burner phones, fresh SIM cards, and temporary email addresses to guard against spyware and potential breaches of UK government servers. Such digital-security measures are routine for some overseas trips, including G20 summits, but have been standard for China visits for at least a decade because of expectations that Beijing will eavesdrop and monitor. Concerns about covert cameras and bugging devices affect officials, press, and business delegations staying in hotels, and past incidents have included honey-trap operations.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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