Did China bring ‘surveillance devices’ with them during G20? A security concern was raised at five-star Taj Hotel in New Delhi during the Summit when a Chinese delegation arrived with bags of “unusual dimensions”.
The ‘unusual’ bags of a member of a Chinese delegation caught the attention of security officers at Taj Palace hotel. Despite the officers being instructed to facilitate passage of ‘diplomatic baggage’, the size of these bags were reportedly too odd to miss the attention of the trained personnel.
A report in Times of India stated that keeping diplomatic protocols in mind, the security personnel allowed the bags in. However, a staff member reported some ‘suspicious equipment’ in the bags once they reached the room. As soon as the superiors of the staff were alerted, they reported held quick consultations, asked the team to put the bags through the scanner.
A tense standoff reportedly ensued when the security personnel tried to convince the delegate to get his bag scanned as it was “a compulsory checking”. The Chinese refused to get the bags checked, especially its contents.
Sources told News18 that all delegates came in to go through the checking, barring this Chinese person. The security personnel were further intrigued when they came to know that the Chinese delegate had sought a “separate and private internet connection”. The hotel reportedly declined the request, leading to a 12-hour-long drama.
Sources further said that police officers too tried to convince the delegate but he went to the Chinese embassy. This move, however, resolved the issue as the Chinese security agreed to remove the equipment from the hotel and send it to their embassy.
“A three-member security team had to stand guard outside the room for around 12 hours before a Chinese security official reverted, saying they would have it sent to the embassy,” the TOI report quoted their source as saying.
When asked about the equipment, top officials were quoted as saying that it couldn’t be said with certainty if these were ‘surveillance set-up’ as they didn’t get a chance to examine the devices.
The TOI report stated that an intelligence official’s assessment conveyed to his seniors said such equipment was generally used to intercept as well as jam secure communication channels. However, the content of the suitcases remains a mystery.
Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the G20 summit. The country’s Premier, Li Qiang, instead attended the event. Li, whose arrival was announced at the last minute, did not travel on one of the usual ‘special aircraft’ meant for senior leaders and arrived on a chartered flight to the Indian agencies’ surprise, the report mentioned.
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