China’s anti-spy agency urges travellers to protect state secrets during holiday trips

As Lunar New Year approaches, anti-espionage authority warns Chinese tourists that foreign agents could try to steal sensitive data

Reading Time:2 minutes

China’s outbound travel has rebounded substantially in the last two years from the low levels during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:00pm, 23 Jan 2025Updated: 6:55pm, 23 Jan 2025

China’s top anti-espionage agency has reminded Chinese tourists to stay vigilant for attempts by foreign intelligence agencies to gather sensitive information from them when they travel abroad during the festive season.

The reminder from the Ministry of State Security came just days before Lunar New Year celebrations begin. The holiday, also known as Spring Festival, falls on January 29 this year and is China’s biggest annual celebration.

The country’s 1.4 billion people will enjoy an eight-day public holiday from Tuesday. While many will reunite with family in their hometowns, more affluent Chinese are likely to use the break to travel abroad.

“When travelling abroad, you should stay vigilant, pay attention to personal safety and guarding state secrets, and refrain from taking part in or assisting in any behaviour that may harm national interests while enjoying the scenery,” the ministry said on social media on Wednesday.

It said Chinese tourists abroad should not use local public Wi-fi networks to log in to important accounts or to send sensitive data. It added that their personal electronic devices should be equipped with security protection measures to prevent “illegal intrusions”.

The ministry also reminded Chinese officials working in sensitive positions to carefully check before leaving whether items they were taking abroad contained confidential information.

“After going abroad, it is even more necessary to be aware of confidentiality discipline. You should not talk about sensitive topics and should avoid leaking sensitive information,” it added.