China Enforces New Exit Rules Barring Tech Security Risks From Leaving
China's new exit-and-entry rules took effect Tuesday, allowing travel bans of up to three years for citizens deemed a threat to national technology security.
China began enforcing new exit-and-entry regulations on Tuesday that permit authorities to bar citizens considered a potential threat to national technology security from leaving the country.
The rules, first announced in July, are aimed at violations of export controls or technology import and export regulations that could jeopardise industrial or technological security. They provide for exit bans lasting between six months and three years on citizens who return to China after committing illegal or criminal acts abroad that harm national security or interests.
Foreign nationals may also be refused entry for one to five years if they make false statements in visa applications.
While Chinese citizens are generally free to travel, the government has long monitored the overseas plans of individuals it regards as security risks. Restrictions on private foreign travel have for years applied to senior government officials and state executives with access to confidential information. In 2023, civil servants and employees of state-linked enterprises faced tighter limits on private trips abroad and greater scrutiny of foreign connections amid a campaign against foreign influence.
Foreign governments have reported cases of their citizens being denied permission to leave China, often in connection with security-related investigations. Last month, U.S. citizen Min Zin, a Myanmar expert designated by Washington, was wrongfully detained after his arrest in June by Chinese authorities on accusations of endangering national security.
The new rules have drawn concern from Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory. Taipei has warned its people to take extra care when visiting China, which considers Taiwanese to be Chinese citizens. Shen Yu-chung, a deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said the regulations "legalise" previously legally unfounded border control practices and expand the discretionary authority of enforcement agencies. He singled out new language on "export control" and "technology import-export management" as grounds for restricting exit, particularly for Taiwanese working in the technology sector.
China has dismissed those concerns, saying the rules offer better legal protection for Taiwanese.