from Forbes Magazine...
When traveling to China for the Olympics this summer, leave any expectation of privacy at the border. Instead, prepare for possible eavesdropping and surveillance--from listening devices in hotel rooms to bugged laptops and personal digital assistants to informers posing as friendly strangers.
Those who laugh at the seeming paranoia would be wise to remember that the U.S. recently accused Chinese authorities of allegedly copying data from the laptop of a visiting trade official last year and attempting to hack into the Commerce Department. The Chinese denied the allegations.
The U.S. Department of State advises tourists not to expect privacy in public or private locations, particularly in hotels, but a spokesman declined to comment further.
Wang Baodong, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., was almost as tight-lipped. He declined to address specific allegations of spying on foreigners at the Olympics.
"No special security measures will be arranged beyond universally adopted international practice at public venues, hotels and offices in China," he says. "Privacy in China will be guaranteed according to the law."
But security experts say that Chinese law has few protections for individual privacy...
Bruce McIndoe, president of the security consulting company iJet, routinely warns his corporate clients about threats to their electronic security.
"What business people need to be aware of," he says, "is that the Chinese are very clear about who is coming into the country. You could be a senior level executive or a scientist and they will target you for surveillance."
(more)
How To Safeguard Your Privacy In Beijing - the short list.
