Want to travel to China, but am scared. Is it irrational?

[Anonymous]

Let's say you are someone of fair importance (e.g. CEO, high up in a tech company, work for defense or govt, or some other kinda stuff.like that). Is it a risk to travel to China? I would love to go there and see all of the wonderful sites, experience the history, enjoy the food, and see the people, but I am scared to death of their govt. I mean, they'll obviously know who you are the moment you immediately walk in because of things like your LinkedIn profile. I have this fear that I'd be flagged and followed by the govt over there or at least have my communications hacked at a minimum. Are these fears irrational? Do they generally leave tourists and civilians alone, even if they might be carrying very valuable corporate trade secrets around in their brains and devices?

There was a reddit thread the other day too of a tourist who jaywalked in China. He described how when he got back to the hotel the manager informed him to try to not do it again. The lint of the discussion being that big brother was watching him walk over there and.must have had some kind of facial recognition software and immediately knew where he was staying. They dispatched govt agents to tell the hotel staff to scold the tourist for jaywalking. Stuff like this scares me from trying to travel there.

And yes, I get the geopolitical issues between the countries are a problem, but do the civilians on the street generally care about this stuff and would you get treated with hostility for being an American tourist? I mean here you're average Joe in the streets care little about US Chinese relations and I feel would welcome Chinese tourists. Is it the same over there? Am not Asian, so it is impossible to blend in.

[Anonymous]

You should be fine. Leave your office laptop at home, and take a burner cellphone if you are concerned.

[Anonymous]

China seeks like an odd choice for a vacay if you are like the CEO at Lockheed or something. Why not wait until retirement or choose some where else? Do not bring any devices other than burners.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine that anyone with a security clearance is allowed to travel to China. But to answer your question, there's no way I would do it. I would have 15 years ago, but not now. The government can do and does whatever it wants, tourist or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:China seeks like an odd choice for a vacay if you are like the CEO at Lockheed or something. Why not wait until retirement or choose some where else? Do not bring any devices other than burners.

I've been almost everywhere else worth going. Europe, South America, allover Asia. China is just the last frontier before I get too old to travel and enjoy everything from hiking to nightlife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine that anyone with a security clearance is allowed to travel to China. But to answer your question, there's no way I would do it. I would have 15 years ago, but not now. The government can do and does whatever it wants, tourist or not.

So the govt there does bother tourists and lock them up/detain like North Korea?

[Anonymous]

North Korea and China are not the same. Americans are not permitted in NK (except for Trump I guess).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine that anyone with a security clearance is allowed to travel to China. But to answer your question, there's no way I would do it. I would have 15 years ago, but not now. The government can do and does whatever it wants, tourist or not.

So the govt there does bother tourists and lock them up/detain like North Korea?

If you have a special kind of clearance you need permission to travel out of the country and have contact depending on the agency. Your family can go if they tell you you cannot go but they do prefer your family not go as well and they've told us that if the rest of the family goes, and there is an issue, they will try but may not be able to get us out.

[Anonymous]

I was there 10+ years ago and was advised not to bring my laptop or cell phone and not to log into my accounts (including personal) even back then. I took a burner phone for only SMS, print outs of any documents or reservations, an old school MP3 and digital camera, but that was it. I would not go back today.

I did many of the hikes in the western rural part of the country and would say you can get similar landscape to the NW by trekking in Nepal, and similar to SW by hiking in rural Laos, having done both.

I also find it absurd to say you have been everywhere else worth going. Dig deeper.

[Anonymous]

Do not go. Crazy.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely no cell phone! Period.

[Anonymous]

If you had a high level security clearance or were truly "important" you wouldn't even be asking this question because you would already know.

[Anonymous]

I'm a fed with a security clearance. When I travel there I just assume everything I put in the hotel safe will be searched. But other than that, it's a blast.

[Anonymous]

This is a fake question, intent of which is anyone’s guess. But anyone “of fair importance” (and a hell of a lot lower level than CEO of a public company) already knows these issues inside and out because there are extensive policies in every US organization covering China travel. Especially for someone so worldly as to have “been everywhere else.”

Anyway, the answer to your question is: no one in that position is going without security. If you’re just a regular executive, consultant, law firm partner, etc, no physical security (necessarily), but you’re taking no electronics other than burners, nothing that is connected to your orgs systems. You’re not taking business calls or meetings, no social media.

Journalists, people in the arts, probably not going right now absent physical security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:China seeks like an odd choice for a vacay if you are like the CEO at Lockheed or something. Why not wait until retirement or choose some where else? Do not bring any devices other than burners.

If you were the CEO of Lockheed Martin and you took an unscheduled, unannounced "vacation" to China, you would be in so much shit being instantly fired wouldn't be enough.