China has implemented new regulations that further restrict citizens' ability to travel in and out of the country. The rules, which took effect Tuesday, empower authorities to bar individuals from leaving China for up to three years if they are found to have "harmed" the nation's security or interests while abroad. Violations of technological import and export regulations can also result in exit bans.
Chinese authorities maintain the regulations are necessary to "safeguard national sovereignty and security" and do not impact ordinary citizens. However, critics argue these measures represent an escalation of Beijing's control over its nationals' actions and speech outside of China.
"This is another tool designed to control what Chinese citizens do and say overseas," said Professor Tom Kellogg, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, in comments to BBC Chinese. He added that state security authorities sometimes refuse passport issuance directly to prevent criticism of the government or to punish advocacy activities.
The regulations permit exit bans for individuals who violate technology import and export rules that could "endanger national industrial or technological security." A Chinese government platform stated the new rules are a preventative measure against high-risk destinations and unusual travel patterns, aiming to address issues like citizens being deceived into illegal activities abroad.
Despite official reassurances, some Chinese nationals report experiencing opaque travel restrictions for years. One 26-year-old, identified as Pipi, believes his passport application was rejected in 2023 because he participated in Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019. He recounted being questioned by state security police upon returning to mainland China and being told by an immigration official, without written confirmation, that he could not obtain a passport due to the "Hong Kong issue."
Pipi expressed fear of escalating the matter, concerned about potential imprisonment, and uncertainty about ever being able to leave China. Currently, Chinese citizens cannot independently verify if they are subject to exit controls, often discovering restrictions only when applying for travel documents or attempting to depart.
Data from the rights group Safeguard Defenders indicates a significant increase in exit bans. The number of records mentioning exit bans in China's supreme court database rose from 89 in 2016 to 188,760 by the previous year. The proportion of civil verdicts involving exit bans also surged more than thirtyfold between 2019 and 2025.
Under the new rules, border officials are also tasked with advising nationals against travel to "high-risk" countries and regions. Previously, various groups, including civil servants and employees of state-owned enterprises, already faced restrictions on traveling to certain destinations. An employee of a state-owned financial institution in Beijing, using the pseudonym Xiao Wang, shared that his colleagues are required to surrender their passports and seek approval for international travel, with countries like Japan being explicitly off-limits.
Kellogg described the expanding travel restrictions as "deeply concerning" and indicative of a "growing ideological control under Chinese leader Xi Jinping," drawing parallels to the Mao Zedong era when China was largely isolated. He noted that widespread international travel only became common for Chinese citizens in the 1990s following reforms and opening up, and that current restrictions evoke memories of that period.