China makes it difficult for citizens to travel abroad
What's the story
China has introduced stringent new rules to restrict travel in and out of the country. The move is seen as an effort by the government to tighten its grip on its citizens. Under these regulations, Chinese nationals who are deemed to have "harmed" China's national security or interests while abroad can be barred from leaving for up to three years.
Scope
New law expands travel restrictions
The new law also applies to anyone considered a threat to China's industrial or technological security.
This comes as China keeps a close watch on sectors like semiconductors and AI amid the growing tech rivalry with the US.
Earlier this year, some executives from these industries were already facing travel restrictions.
Advisory role
Directions for border officials
As per the new rules, border officials are now required to advise Chinese nationals against traveling to countries and regions considered "high-risk."
Even before these regulations were announced, some individuals were already facing travel bans to specific countries.
Civil servants were among the first groups subjected to these controls, which later expanded to include state-owned enterprise employees and ordinary citizens.
Travel restrictions
Civil servant's shocking revelation about passport control
A retired grassroots civil servant from Anhui province revealed that his workplace had made employees surrender their passports around 2018.
He said even after his retirement last year, his passport remains with the former employer.
The ex-civil servant also claimed that employees had to apply and explain their reasons for overseas travel, with not all requests being approved.
Growing concerns
Travel restrictions reflect Xi Jinping's growing ideological control
Professor Tom Kellogg, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, expressed his concerns over the expanding travel restrictions.
He said they reflect a "growing ideological control under Chinese leader Xi Jinping," reminiscent of Mao Zedong's era.
However, a Chinese government "rumour-refuting" platform claimed that these new rules are not meant to restrict ordinary citizens' travel, but rather individuals with unusual travel patterns.
Rising trend
Drastic increase in exit bans since 2016
Data from rights group Safeguard Defenders shows that China has drastically increased exit bans on its citizens in recent years.
The country's supreme court database recorded only 89 exit ban records in 2016, a number that skyrocketed to 188,760 last year.
The percentage of civil verdicts related to exit bans also increased over 30 times between 2019 and 2025, from about 0.23% to 7.3%.