China Tightens Exit Rules, Citing National Security
China has introduced sweeping new travel restrictions on its citizens, including exit bans for individuals considered a threat to the country’s industrial or technological security. The rules, issued by the State Council and effective from Tuesday, allow authorities to prevent people from leaving China if they violate regulations governing the import and export of technology. Citizens involved in illegal activities abroad could also be barred from leaving the country for between six months and three years after returning. Beijing said the measures, first announced in July, were designed to protect national sovereignty, security and development interests. The new restrictions come amid growing technological competition between China and the United States, with both countries accusing the other in recent months of attempting to obtain sensitive capabilities linked to domestically developed artificial intelligence systems.
Analysts, however, have raised concerns over the broad scope of the new rules, warning that terms such as security and criminal activity could be interpreted widely and applied with considerable discretion. Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore said the outside world would only understand the extent of the authorities’ powers once specific cases emerged. He also pointed to reports of exit bans involving foreign nationals, including US citizen and political analyst Min Zin, who Washington says was taken into custody in China’s Yunnan province in June and held improperly. Beijing has rejected the accusation, saying Min Zin was suspected of violating Chinese law. Chong said the case raised concerns that the new rules could potentially be applied to a broad range of people. Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the restrictions send a clear message that Beijing is prepared to prevent the leakage of information considered sensitive to national security or national interests.
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