A startling report from The New York Times reveals that Chinese dictator Xi Jinping is so paranoid about the United States obtaining his DNA that he has his security team scrub down everything he touches — even dessert plates — out of fear America could design a disease to target him personally.
The revelation underscores Beijing’s deep suspicion of U.S. technological capabilities and highlights growing concerns about the future of warfare in an age of advanced bioweapons and artificial intelligence.
The incident occurred during Xi’s November 15, 2023 meeting with President Joe Biden at a San Francisco–area mansion. According to the Times, after the two leaders finished lunch, an aide signaled to a bodyguard, who quickly walked to Xi’s table and began spraying every surface he had touched — including the remains of his almond meringue cake. American officials concluded that the purpose was clear: preventing the United States from obtaining even a microscopic trace of Xi’s DNA.
“This is the way they’re thinking,” one official who attended the meeting told the Times. “That you could design a disease that would only affect one person.”
This isn’t the first time a communist dictator has taken extraordinary steps to shield his biological information. Earlier this fall, The New York Post reported that North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un traveled with a personal toilet designed to capture all waste to prevent foreign intelligence from analyzing his health. Aides were also reportedly seen meticulously scrubbing down the room where Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The anxiety displayed by Xi and Kim reflects a broader global concern about next-generation warfare. According to the Times, asking any “five veteran national security experts” today yields warnings about five different emerging technologies poised to reshape combat. These include:
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Robotic drone swarms capable of coordinating lethal attacks without human control
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Cyberweapons powerful enough to freeze militaries in place and collapse national electrical grids
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Artificial intelligence–designed biological weapons engineered to target specific genetic traits
The article notes that while some of these concepts may sound like science fiction, others are already under development — and adversarial nations like China are investing aggressively in them.
For American policymakers, the revelations raise serious questions about how China perceives the United States and what that means for global security. Xi’s extreme precautions — wiping down plates at a diplomatic luncheon — illustrate a regime that sees the U.S. not merely as a competitor, but as a potential biotechnological threat.
The United States, meanwhile, has repeatedly emphasized transparency, ethical standards, and international norms in biotech research — principles authoritarian regimes like China and North Korea frequently ignore. Yet Beijing’s paranoia reveals just how deeply insecure its leadership is, even at the highest levels.
As the world enters an era where cyberwarfare, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology converge, America’s adversaries are clearly preparing for a battlefield far beyond conventional weapons. And judging by Xi Jinping’s behavior, some of them believe that future may already be here.
[READ MORE: IG Says Hegseth May Have Broken Pentagon Rules — But Notes He Has Authority to Declassify War Info]