Security Briefing on Travel to China

Date: September, 2019
Resource: International SOS

Western's student mobility programs in China are continuing to operate as normal with the support of our partner institutions/organizations.

Assessment:

In light of current tensions in the political landscape, heightened sensitivity is to be expected in noticing and sense-making any such encounters. However, there has not been any evidence to suggest the presence of a wide-spread or policy-directed drive for local police to take arbitrary action against Canadian travellers nor business operations. Canadian figures and senior business executives continue to travel to China without facing any form of disruption from the Chinese authorities.

Our current assessment is that fluctuations in Chinese-Canadian relations and trade negotiations in the coming months are unlikely to trigger the authorities to conduct arbitrary action against business activities and travel in general. The Chinese police generally keep a high level of attention on foreigners travelling in their country; such attention can manifest in activities ranging from routine identification checks on the streets of major cities to surprise visits to hotel rooms or offices. However, this degree of attention has been on-going for many years. We have not, in this period of tensions between China and the US and Canada, detected any arbitrary checks or disruption to business activities. To be clear – we have not noticed any “secret” detentions of American and Canadian travellers, or business raids by police against US companies which are arbitrarily conducted without basis. The natural media sensitivity to any such cases signalling arbitrary action against business interests would also mean that any such significant incidents would not fall under the radar. This is evidenced from the high publicity given to the detention of several Canadians particularly in end-2018 to early-2019.

As we have shared consistently, travellers or organisations that have previous or on-going security/legal incidents or disputes with Chinese authorities, travellers with close links to sensitive figures or hold appointments in the Canadian governments, or those holding dual Canadian-Chinese citizenships, may have a higher risk profile for travel to China. If these apply, a specific risk assessment would be required. Otherwise, despite recent political and trade developments between China and the US, most travellers, including those on normal business purposes, are not expected to be affected by the tensions, and normal travel for the most part can proceed.

In our experience, the key measures to prevent an undesired incident with the authorities would include stringent compliance with local business regulations, registration of all trip and locations of travel with the respective government’s travel program or embassy, background screening of travellers to China to detect and respond to any potential points of sensitivity, as well as pre-trip briefings to travellers on how to conduct and avoid getting into trouble (for example, engaging in political activism, or being perceived as such, may result in temporary detainment and deportation). If a traveller does come under attention of the police, it is important to cooperate closely with the police and not attempt to circumvent their authority.

Do emphasise to any members engaging in such travel in China that officials can confiscate items considered to be detrimental to China's political and social stability, in particular material perceived to be linked to sensitive topics. Besides mobile phones, these also include undeveloped films, recorded material, publications and computers. Carrying politically sensitive material or engaging in political activism, or being perceived as such, may result in temporary detainment and deportation. Leaks and theft of sensitive commercial data are also an issue, and travellers need to exercise stringent information security protocols.

CYBER SECURITY ADVICE

PRE-TRAVEL 

  • Consult Western's IT security team for further information on how to secure your information and devices.
  • Back-up internal contents before departure. If necessary, remove sensitive documents before departure, or only have information that you will need for the travel.
  • Install a tracking application or remote data protection software, in case your laptop is confiscated, lost or stolen.
  • Prevent laptops from being set to administrator mode to limit the ability of the user to install updates or make software changes; these could create ‘back doors’ that allow cyber-attackers access to the device.

DURING TRAVEL

  • Keep your systems and devices securely on yourself. Do not leave your laptop, tablet, and other electronic devices unattended.
  • Carry devices in a nondescript bag (e.g. a black backpack) which is more discreet than a laptop bag.
  • Use VPN connection for web access and data transfer especially for sensitive information. Be cautious when using Wi-fi, Bluetooth or Skype.

When in public areas such as hotels

  • Never leave your laptop in your hotel room or elsewhere without careful locking.
  • Cooperate with the local authorities in case of any security check; maintain cordiality as it may just be a random check.
  • Do not disclose sensitive information as this may provide reason for the authorities to probe further.

ACTIONS IF CONFISCATED BY AUTHORITIES

  • Cooperate with the local authorities; comply with their demands as refusal to hand over the equipment could result in the use of force and heavier punishment. Be calm and confident in your verbal and physical manner, but do not enter into public confrontation.
  • Inform Western's IT security departments, your home department/faculty, and any local offices and colleagues in country for language and/or legal support. Alert respective embassies/consulates for assistance.
  • Contact ISOS' Beijing Assistance Centre to seek assistance/advice from the Security Team. The Assistance Centre is open 24 hours. Ph: +86 (0) 10 6462 9100.

If students are planning to travel to China on university-sanctioned activities, they must complete the Safety Abroad Steps for Students, in particular the Travel Registry (step 3) and registration with the Government of Canada (step 5). For questions or further assistance, please contact travelregistry@uwo.ca.