The Chinese are regularly listening to Donald Trump's mobile phone calls. He has one iPhone hardened by the NSA but he insists on using a consumer-grade iPhone, even while knowing he's being eavesdropped upon, because it has his contact list on it. If only there were a way you could transfer your contact list from one iPhone to another.

White House officials say they can only hope he refrains from discussing classified information when he is on them", reports the New York Times.

But, officials were confident that "he was not spilling secrets because he rarely digs into the details of the intelligence he is shown and is not well versed in the operational specifics of military or covert activities".

This must be the first recorded case of security through ignorance, but we guess Apple depended on something similar on its phones for a while.

The article mentions the rationale is to be able to listen to his calls to find out what and whom influences him, and that the Russians also listen in, albeit with less frequency because of his unique relationship with Vladimir Putin.

Amusingly the Chinese authorities have said that Trump should not mess around with overpriced and insecure Apple gear and should be using something more secure like a Huawei. It would have the advance that it can tell the time.

“If they are really very worried about Apple phones being bugged, then they can change to using Huawei,” a commentator said. “If they are still not at ease, then in order to have an entirely secure device, they can stop using all forms of modern communication devices and cut off all ties with the outside world.”