China's President Xi Jinping joked about spying on the South Korean president, presenting him with a pair of smartphones – he advised him to "check if there's a backdoor." This rare joke by the Chinese leader made headlines in Seoul newspapers, UNN reports, citing AFP.
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This informal exchange of gifts took place on Saturday in Gyeongju, when Xi Jinping and President Lee Jae-myung presented each other with gifts as part of the APEC summit, marking Xi Jinping's first visit to South Korea in over a decade.
Xi Jinping presented Lee with two Xiaomi smartphones with Korean-made displays, to which Lee responded with a joke: "Is the communication line reliable?", eliciting laughter from Xi Jinping.
Pointing to the devices, Xi Jinping replied: "You should check if there's a backdoor," referring to installed software that allows third parties to monitor, which drew laughter and applause from Lee.
This brief humorous conversation generated significant media interest over the weekend, as Xi Jinping rarely jokes, let alone about espionage.
"Xi Jinping burst out laughing after Lee Jinping's joke about the security of Xiaomi phones," read a headline in the Seoul Shinmun daily on Monday.
One video of this on YouTube garnered over 800 comments, many of which expressed surprise.
"It feels like martial arts masters exchanging remarks in a duel," wrote user 021835.
This moment of levity highlighted how close the two leaders had become in two days, Lee's press secretary Kim Nam-joon told AFP.
"From welcoming ceremonies and gift exchanges to banquets and cultural events, both leaders had many opportunities to communicate and strengthen their personal chemistry," he said.
"Without such chemistry, such jokes would not have been possible," the spokesman noted.
Asked by AFP if he would use the phones, Kim replied that it was possible.
"Although nothing has been decided yet, he may use the phone," he said, adding that the phones were given to Lee and his wife.
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