“American spy agencies, the officials said, had learned that China and Russia were eavesdropping on the president’s cellphone calls from human sources inside foreign governments and intercepting communications between foreign officials,” the daily said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a question regarding the report.
According to the daily, US intelligence officials have determined that China is seeking to use what it is learning from the calls how Trump thinks, what arguments tend to sway him and to whom he is inclined to listen to keep a trade war with the United States from escalating further.
“Russia is not believed to be running as sophisticated an influence effort as China because of Trump’s apparent affinity for President Vladimir Putin,” a former official told the daily.
The daily said Trump typically relies on his cellphones when he does not want a call going through the White House switchboard and logged for senior aides to see.
