China has asked some of the country’s state-run companies to avoid business trips to the United States and its allies, and to take extra care to protect their devices if they need to travel, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

The State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), which oversees about 100 government-run companies, has told some firms in recent weeks to only take secure, company-issued laptops meant for overseas use if travelling is necessary, according to the report here, citing people familiar with the request, Reuters reported.

China’s travel advice also included warning on travelling to the other countries in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing pact - Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Bloomberg said.

SASAC did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Some employees at the company were not allowed to take laptops on such trips and were ordered to delete all work-related data and information from their personal phones before travelling, the person said.

Approved business trips to the United States had not been cancelled, the person told Reuters.