APEC Summit: Xiaomi Phone Gift Sparks Light-Hearted Security Joke Between China and South Korea

Although the phones of the Chinese company Xiaomi are often questioned in India and around the world, an unexpected turn of events took place when the president of South Korea jokingly questioned the security of the phone.

On November 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae-myung, exchanged gifts at the ongoing APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in South Korea. When the Chinese President presented a Xiaomi phone to the South Korean President, Lee Jae-myung mocked the phone's security, asking, "Is the communication line secure?"

Responding to his South Korean counterpart's joking tone, Xi Jinping replied, "Check if there's a backdoor." A backdoor is a hidden method in mobile security that is used to access a phone's data. It bypasses normal authentication and gains unauthorized access to a system, network, or application.

It is also created for legitimate purposes, such as remote support, but is commonly used by attackers to steal data, control systems, or maintain persistent, covert access. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since the South Korean president assumed office in June 2025.