A Researcher Came Knocking, and Taught China a Lesson in How to Manage Vulnerabilities -- and Researchers

A TCL TV vulnerability disclosure drove home the message: to protect its economic and political clout, China must heed global vulnerability researchers' warnings and cultivate Chinese researchers

In the last few days of October 2025 in Asia, gift-giving between top political leaders has drawn a lot of attention—and laughter. One moment, which surprised many of us, was when Chinese President Xi Jinping showed humor during his gift exchange with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. It is rare to see a Chinese leader “speaking off the cuff in public.” On this occasion, President Xi joked about backdoors in cellphones—yes, backdoors that can monitor or access the information in mobile devices.

During his first state visit to South Korea after 11 years, Xi presented two Chinese-made Xiaomi brand smartphones—the world’s third-largest smartphone brand—to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. When Lee asked delightedly about the quality of communication and the security of the phone, Xi smiled and said, “You can check if there is a backdoor.”

President Xi is undoubtedly fully aware that the United States and its allies have warned that Chinese technology may contain backdoors—what the …