The European Union delegation to China said it was blocked from opening an official WeChat account, blaming diplomatic hurdles.
The delegation applied for an account in October last year.
After the standard verification period of three to five months, though, the account was never activated.
In April 2026, the platform informed the delegation that, as a diplomatic mission, it would require “special permission” from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When approached, the ministry reportedly pushed back, describing the issue as “a private company matter” rather than a government responsibility.
The account approval is now in limbo.
The app, developed by Chinese tech. giant Tencent, has more than 1 billion monthly active users and functions as a central hub in China for messaging, payments and everyday services such as food delivery.
The EU video, with a deliberately light tone, highlights what the delegation suggested was a bureaucratic impasse.
The delegation is representing and promoting the EU in China and serving as a key point of contact with authorities and other local interlocutors.
It has mainly used the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo.
We are pleased to share with you our series “Did you know…? Insights into the life of a diplomatic mission in China.”
The first episode focuses on the EU Delegation’s efforts to open an official #WeChat account. Enjoy! #didyouknow #EUChina pic.twitter.com/vOPSr2SCBz
— EU Delegation to China (@EUdelChina) April 28, 2026
