The author is the IT security person for the Linux Foundation, who's activities include distributing the Linux kernel via kernel.org. They represent a particularly juicy target for nation-state actors, and have been targeted with reasonably advanced attacks before. In 2015 the author published a checklist for laptop security, this is just an extension of that, teaching people (and LF employees) how to comply with their policies and China's.

Are they likely to be hassled at the border? No. But if there's a way to make all parties happy, might as well document it.

"who's activities include distributing the Linux kernel via kernel.org. They represent a particularly juicy target for nation-state actors"

If they really cared, they wouldn't host it on Linux. It would be OpenBSD or something with every software measure possible on read-only storage that admin physically replaces. That's just to start with. It's good that the author is taking measures but it gets amusing how much risk they keep on distribution side when you bring up nation-states going after them. Most big ones have 0-days for Linux systems anyway. They just use them in a targeted fashion to get more ROI from them. China can probably hit anyone working for Linux Foundation if they wanted to outside some really, paranoid setups that might exist.

They just don't since they don't care about them. They're 100% unimportant to Chinese intelligence. What is important is the source code of the kernel and privileged software which are freely available. If anything, letting Linux development and distribution continue is a good thing for Chinese intelligence since developers add features (and vulnerabilities) more than do code audit on a project whose source is available to the black hats. Makes Chinese spies' jobs so much easier. :)

If I were him I would go with a burner laptop and wouldn't take with me any digital credentials.

That's the TL;DR of the article. ;)

I completely agree, I've entered China about a dozen times in the past year - always a smile, polite, efficient. Never had my bags looked at or questioned.

The US is quite different, far from welcoming, it's scary, so many bad stories of things happening, the immigration people trend to scowl (they must be under so much pressure) they take your photos, your fingerprints (not entering China) ... honestly, as much as I love the US, it's my home I've spent half my adult life there, I'm not going out of my way to visit these days

I was going to say this: US and UK are far worse. Heathrow is so bad that I rather take an Uber from or to another airport. I have been going to all three quite a lot the past 3 years.

I think he knows

> It is important to point out that you are extremely unlikely to be penalized for bringing in an encrypted laptop with you to China, as any kind of widespread zealous application of such practice would quickly shut down any business travel to China -- and this is definitely not in the government's interest.

It seems like a rational argument (about the consequences of adopting such policy) but looking at the US as a live example, is that really happening?

In the US's case, it might mean that the world depends too much on it and has to put up with draconian policies.

It seems to indeed be more that China is up and coming, while the US is declining. Remember how the US used to be friendly to immigrants and prided itself on its diversity? Well, now everyone's already there, everyone speaks English and there hasn't been an internal war in a while. It's like it grew fat and is now hibernating on that.

Just a wild guess, but like many people have said in this discussion: I find it pleasant to go to China, but I have to be paid to go to the US.

Hopefully the US will sort itself out and people can be happy visitors again, and not simply go there because it's normal to do so.

The UK border was OK in comparison to the USA.