China Starts Smartphone Inspections In Anti-Espionage Drive

China has implemented new regulations under its toughened counterespionage law, which enables authorities to inspect smartphones, personal computers, and other electronic devices.

A Japanese travel agency official said the new regulations could further prevent tourists from coming to China.

This has raised fears among expatriates and foreign businesspeople about possible arbitrary enforcement, Kyodo News reported.

The new rules, which came into effect one year after the revised anti-espionage law expanded the definition of espionage activities, empower Chinese national security authorities to inspect data, including emails, pictures, and videos stored on electronic devices.

Such inspections can be conducted without warrants in emergencies. If officers are unable to examine electronic devices on-site, they are authorized to have those items brought to designated places, according to the regulations.

It remains unclear what qualifies as emergencies under the new rules. Foreign individuals and businesses are now expected to face increased surveillance by Chinese authorities as a result of these regulations.

A 33-year-old British teacher told Kyodo News at a Beijing airport Monday that she refrains from using smartphones for communications.

A Japanese man in his 40s who visited the Chinese capital for a business trip said he will "try to avoid attracting attention" from security authorities in the country. A Japanese travel agency official said the new regulations could further prevent tourists from coming to China.