Don’t use WhatsApp or WeChat when you’re in China, University of California, Davis tells students
- Travel warning also advises against making ‘unfavourable political statements or postings on social media’ while in the country
- Information issued to people who may be travelling on the university’s behalf
The University of California, Davis has circulated a China travel warning to some of its students, advising them not to use messaging apps like WhatsApp or WeChat or make “unfavourable political statements or postings on social media” while there.
It was delivered on Monday in an email sent by Gary Leonard, the University of California Office of the President’s director of liability and property programmes, to the universities that fall under his office’s governance, and was forwarded to people who may be travelling on behalf of UC Davis, a spokeswoman for UC Davis said. Screenshots of the advice have been seen by the South China Morning Post.
Two electrical and computer engineering graduate students confirmed they had received the email but declined to comment on the travel warning.
The email reads: “While the use of What’sApp [sic], WeChat and like messaging apps is legal in China, we have seen in the latest espionage charge of a US citizen in Russia where the use of What’sApp [sic] has been cited in his espionage charges.
“Our concern here is the possibility China could use this condition similarly against Western travellers to levy charges or as an excuse to deny departure. We recommend not using these messaging apps at this time.”