China Tightens Exit Rules Over National Technology and Security Risks
BEIJING — China tightened restrictions on overseas travel Tuesday as new exit and entry rules took effect, allowing authorities to prevent Chinese citizens from leaving the country if they are deemed a potential threat to national technology or security interests.
Chinese citizens are generally free to travel abroad, a sharp contrast with the restrictions imposed during the height of the Cold War. But Beijing has long closely monitored the overseas travel of people considered potential security risks.
China announced the new rules in July, saying they were aimed at violations of export controls and technology import and export regulations that could endanger industrial or technological security.
Under the rules, Chinese citizens who return to the country after committing illegal or criminal acts abroad that harm national security or interests can face exit bans ranging from six months to three years.
Foreign nationals can also be barred from entering China for one to five years for providing false information in visa applications.
Restrictions on overseas travel have long applied to senior government officials and executives at state-owned enterprises who have access to confidential information.
In 2023, Reuters reported that Chinese civil servants and employees of state-linked companies were facing tighter restrictions on private overseas travel and increased scrutiny of their foreign contacts as Beijing intensified a campaign against foreign influence.
Foreign governments have also reported cases of their citizens being prevented from leaving China, often in connection with security investigations.
Last month, U.S. citizen and Myanmar expert Min Zin was detained by Chinese authorities after his arrest in June on allegations of endangering national security. Washington has designated his detention as wrongful.
Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of China, has warned its citizens to exercise increased caution when traveling to the mainland. Beijing considers Taiwanese people to be Chinese citizens.
Shen Yu-chung, a deputy head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said the new rules effectively provide a legal basis for border-control practices that previously lacked clear legal grounds and give enforcement agencies greater discretion.
In remarks Monday, Shen expressed particular concern about provisions referring to export controls and technology import and export management as grounds for restricting overseas travel. He said the provisions could have implications for Taiwanese working in the technology sector.
China has rejected Taiwan’s concerns, saying the new rules provide stronger legal protections for Taiwanese citizens.
