The Gun Counter

I've just contracted for consulting with an Asian company that (it seems) is bonkers about WeChat.
Along with an internal email address they've assigned me a WeChat address.
Frankly am shocked considering the proprietary technical stuff they're working on with wide range of major OEMS that they would even allow that app in their buildings on any devices.
Up to this point I've refused to have WeChat on any of my hardware. So the question is, how to proceed with some modicum of safety for my personal info?

Any ideas? Maybe get a 2nd line? Use a bare bones smart phone that doesn't have any of my other info to ripoff?

I would get a cheap burner phone and number and only use it for that contract, with no other information kept on it. Turn it off and keep it in a Faraday bag when not in use. Pull the battery if the phone is set up to do that easily

Be aware that everything you transmit on that phone is likely going directly into an MSS database, along with your location and movements (so maybe keep the GPS off). And I would not have any conversation in it's vicinity you wouldn't mind the PRC knowing about. A piece of electricians tape over the camera lens might not be a bad idea either. Don't let it connect to your home Wi-Fi.

I'm a firm believer in the saying that it's not if you're being paranoid, it's if you are being paranoid enough.

Yeah. The other thing is going to be my laptop when traveling to mainland. Prior employer made us leave ours here and we traveled with a loaner from IT services setup special for travel there

Depending on how much horsepower you need in a laptop, I've seen some $500 range laptops that might be good burners. Able to do email and web surfing, and the specs of low end laptops today blow away the high end ones of a few years ago.

You also might look around for used. I bought mine used from a friend several years ago and it still does everything I want it to do when traveling (email, web surfing, and some ham radio software).