At some point few years ago it became practically impossible to do any business in China from the outside without what's app (no idea why as allegedly its banned there). This is around the some time samsung had their "My Knox" feature on their S8 or S9 phone. This feature was like an isolated container for apps, an android equivalent of VM. The purpose was to place your banking and other critical apps there and the normal android system wouldn't be able to access it.

However I found a much better use case is to keep your phone's os secure by putting all dodgy apps in "my knox". This way I could've had what's app and give it access to all my 1 contact I prepared for it etc.

These days I don't know if they still have "my knox" feature on the flagship models as, I decided to get a different phone.

However for going to an autocratic country I would just buy a burner phone (or not go there in the first place).