‘Beware of accepting souvenirs overseas
South China Morning Post
Jul 23, 2025
Anti-espionage agency warns travellers items like key rings may have hidden spy functions
The country’s top anti-spy agency has advised citizens travelling abroad to be wary of accepting souvenirs that could be used for surveillance.
Items such as backpack charms, key rings, necklaces and earrings might have hidden spy functions, including cameras, listening devices and tracking features, the Ministry of State Security warned on social media yesterday. It said the public must understand national security regulations and exercise caution with these “modified travel souvenirs”.
It added overseas spy agencies might push these altered gifts through “forced gifting”. State sector personnel, employees in classified roles, and scholars and students in universities and research institutions are prime targets, according to the ministry. It said these gifts could pose a risk to state secrets if they entered classified workplaces.
Under the counter-espionage law, individuals and organisations are prohibited from the unlawful use or possession of specialised equipment designed for spying. The law’s amended version further clarifies the legal liability for helping others to conduct espionage.
Beijing has elevated national security to new prominence in recent years through tighter legislation and administration.
The government has also attached greater importance to political integrity by working to combat politically subversive or sensitive content.
The ministry warned some map-themed merchandise sold overseas might “inaccurately depict or omit national territory”. It said these items could “severely compromise national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and were strictly forbidden for cross-border transport. China has unresolved land and maritime territorial disputes with surrounding nations.
The ministry urged citizens not to buy “improper materials”, such as sensitive or misleading content on state, social or political matters, that were considered illegal publications in China.
It also advised Chinese citizens not to transport any pets bought overseas due to national security concerns. Live flora and fauna, such as amphibians and insects, have become hot souvenir items among Chinese tourists travelling abroad. Under the law, it is a crime to bring invasive species or those that threaten the ecosystem into Chinese territory.
In September, China’s first criminal case involving the illegal introduction of invasive species concluded with a guilty verdict. The defendant received a ninemonth prison sentence and a 100,000 yuan (HK$109,000) fine after he was detained in 2022 for carrying 2,015 red-eared slider hatchlings into the country without valid quarantine certificates.
The turtles are listed as an invasive species in China.
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