China has enacted stricter controls on outbound travel for its citizens, citing the need to protect sensitive technology and national security, after a July-issued regulation took effect on Tuesday.
The rule explicitly authorizes exit bans against individuals found to have violated export controls or regulations governing technology transfers. Those deemed capable of "endangering national industrial and technological security" can be barred from leaving the country, with no maximum duration specified for such restrictions.
In an explanatory statement, authorities pointed to cases where Chinese citizens had illegally transmitted technology abroad following unauthorised departures. Beijing said the tougher measures are designed to safeguard technical knowledge, noting that exit bans on national-security grounds were already permitted under prior law.
The new regulation goes further than existing rules. Chinese citizens who commit illegal acts overseas and thereby damage China's security and interests face travel bans of six months to three years upon their return. Officials justified the provisions as part of a campaign against cross-border fraud and illegal gambling. Critics, however, characterised the changes as a broadening of state control over citizens' freedom of movement.
Spanning 19 articles, the regulation also covers inbound travel. Foreign nationals who submit false information on visa applications filed overseas or at the point of entry can be barred from re-entering China for one to five years.
The travel restrictions add to existing requirements already enforced in China. For years, many party and government officials have been required to surrender their private passports to their workplaces and obtain permission before travelling abroad. In recent years, similar rules have been extended in some cases to employees at schools and other public institutions, with authorities invoking the protection of state secrets and the fight against corruption.
