U.S., Canadian Executives Privately 'Spooked' About Traveling To China

U.S. executives have long known the risks of traveling to China with cellphones and laptops. Theft of intellectual property and cyberattacks underlie trade tensions between the two countries.

But executives are more skittish than usual these days.

"Certainly Canadian and American business executives are a bit spooked about traveling to China right now," says Amy Celico of business advisory firm Albright Stonebridge Group.

Travel tensions are running especially high after the Dec. 1 arrest of prominent Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada, which touched off a nationalist uproar in China. The U.S. is seeking her extradition on charges of fraud for allegedly using an unofficial subsidiary to do business with Iran — in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Things escalated last week after China detained two Canadian citizens on suspicions of national security violations.