Visitors trying out new Huawei smartphones at an exhibition.

China's foreign ministry has some suggestions for the Trump administration if it is worried about foreign eavesdropping on the U.S. president's iPhones: use a Huawei handset instead.

Or just cut all forms of modern communication with the outside world.

The riposte came after the New York Times reported that American intelligence reports indicated that Chinese and Russian spies often listen in on President Donald Trump when he uses his Apple cellphones to chat with old friends.

Aides have repeatedly told him that his cellphone calls are not secure, but although the president has been persuaded to use his secure White House landline more often, he has refused to give up the phones, the Times said.

Trump called the Times report incorrect on Thursday, and dismissed it as "long and boring."

"I only use Government Phones, and have only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump tweet: The so-called experts on Trump over at the New York Times wrote a long and boring article on my cellphone usage that is so incorrect I do not have time here to correct it. I only use Government Phones, and have only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!

In a later tweet, he said, "I rarely use a cellphone, & when I do it's government authorized. I like Hard Lines. Just more made up Fake News!"

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also dismissed the Times story, calling such reports "evidence that the New York Times makes fake news."

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, she also offered two suggestions apparently aimed at the Trump administration.

"If they are really very worried about Apple phones being bugged, then they can change to using Huawei," she said, referring to China's biggest telecommunications equipment maker.