China's New Border Rules Allow Exit Bans Over Security and Tech Violations
China's new border control rules, effective Tuesday, allow exit bans of six months to three years for citizens whose overseas activity threatens national or industrial security.
New Chinese border control regulations taking effect Tuesday empower authorities to bar citizens from leaving the country when their conduct is deemed to endanger national or industrial security, part of a wider overhaul of border rules.
The measures reflect, in part, heightened official concern about the transfer of technology amid intensifying competition with the United States in artificial intelligence and other emerging fields. The opening clause of the regulation states that it was drawn up to protect national sovereignty, security and development interests.
Under the rules, a citizen who engages in criminal activity overseas that endangers national security could be prohibited from leaving China again for six months to three years, counted from the date of their return. A citizen who violates technology export or import regulations could similarly face an exit ban if the action endangers industrial or technological security.
The consultancy Trivium described the regulations as another sign of how seriously Beijing views the risk of key technology and technical knowledge being transferred abroad. The rules follow an unexpected move in April, when China blocked tech giant Meta from acquiring artificial intelligence startup Manus, a Singapore company with Chinese roots, after the deal apparently raised government concerns about the transfer of advanced technology.
The regulations also include a provision that could bar foreigners from entering China for one to five years if they provide false information in a visa application or at a port of entry. In addition, they seek to prevent citizens from being deceived into traveling abroad and then forced into illegal gambling or online and phone scam operations, a problem that has persisted in recent years.
The Cyberspace Administration of China, which monitors online discussions, moved to address concerns that the new rules would make travel more difficult. The measures are aimed at people involved in illegal cross-border activities rather than ordinary citizens with legitimate reasons to travel abroad, the agency said in an online post last week.