Full Breakdown
China Expands Travel Restrictions, Tightening Control Over Citizens’ Overseas Movement
By Drooid · · How we work
New Travel Restrictions Enacted
China’s latest regulations give authorities the power to bar citizens deemed a threat to national security, industrial or technological interests, or who have “harmed” the state while abroad from leaving the country for up to three years. Border officials must also advise Chinese nationals against traveling to “high-risk” destinations. The rules apply to civil servants, state-owned enterprise employees, executives in sensitive sectors such as semiconductors and AI, and ordinary citizens whose travel patterns appear unusual.
Historical Context and Rise in Exit Bans
Under Mao Zedong, China was largely isolated, with international travel rare until the 1990s reforms. Recent years have seen a sharp increase in exit bans. Data supplied by rights group Safeguard Defenders indicate that the Supreme People’s Court recorded only 89 exit-ban cases in 2016, rising to 188,760 the following year. The share of civil verdicts involving exit bans grew from roughly 0.23 % in 2019 to 7.3 % by 2025, suggesting a systematic expansion of the practice.
Scope, Enforcement and Statistics
The regulations require employees in certain sectors to surrender passports and obtain written approval for overseas trips. A retired grassroots civil servant in Anhui reported that his employer retained his passport after retirement, while a 32-year-old employee at a Beijing state-owned financial institution said managers verbally prohibit travel to “sensitive countries such as Japan.” In March, the co-founders of Manus—an AI firm acquired by Meta—were reportedly barred from leaving China. Individuals often discover restrictions only when applying for travel documents or attempting to depart.
Responses and Reactions
Professor Tom Kellogg, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, described the measures as “deeply concerning” and likened them to ideological control reminiscent of the Mao era.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is another tool designed to control what Chinese citizens do and say overseas,” — Professor Tom Kellogg, Executive Director, Center for Asian Law (Georgetown University) “This is another tool designed to control what Chinese citizens do and say overseas,” — Professor Kellogg