Might be ignorance of that fact. A chinese national posted a tour guide on reddit for an esports tournament in Shanghai, and this was their description of WeCh

Might be ignorance of that fact. A chinese national posted a tour guide on reddit for an esports tournament in Shanghai, and this was their description of WeChat. >Wechat: Chinese Whatsapp and Facebook rolled into one, you should set it up beforehand. This is THE most used app in China, just about everyone uses it and it is an essential means of communication. If you meet anyone you want to stay in touch with, add them through Wechat and you’re good to go. Perhaps someday you might even discover the fabled meme trove of China that is Wechat Stickers… If you don't do your own research and just listen to mainland Chinese opinions, it could seem like an innocuous app like anything else.