State Department Worried About Eavesdropping At New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel

The State Department is concerned about the planned sale of New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to a Chinese insurance company. The department uses the landmark hotel for diplomatic purposes each year. It maintains a suite on floor 42 as a residence for the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The president stays there for a few nights during the general assembly. State officials are concerned that a planned renovation of the Waldorf by the Chinese would turn it into one big eavesdropping site. A spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the U.N. said State is reviewing details of the sale. Hilton Worldwide agreed to sell the Waldorf for nearly $2 billion.