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Authorities maintained that the measures are aimed at addressing specific risks and are not intended to restrict the travel of ordinary citizens. Critics, however, said the measures could increase government control over Chinese nationals\u2019 activities overseas, according to a report in BBC.<\/p>\n
New grounds for travel bans<\/strong><\/p>\n Under the rules that came into effect on Tuesday, Chinese citizens who are considered to have harmed the country\u2019s national security or interests while abroad can be prevented from leaving China for up to three years after returning.<\/p>\n Chinese authorities have defended the measures as necessary to protect \u2018national sovereignty and security\u2019. They have also rejected suggestions that the rules are intended to restrict the travel of ordinary citizens.<\/p>\n Government cites risks abroad<\/strong><\/p>\n According to Piyao, a Chinese government \u2018rumour-refuting\u2019 platform, the new measures “serve as a preventative measure against high-risk destinations and individuals with unusual travel patterns”.<\/p>\n The platform said the rules were introduced to tackle issues such as people being lured or deceived into travelling abroad, as well as becoming involved in illegal gambling and scam-related activities overseas.<\/p>\n Critics argue that the rules could give authorities another way to punish Chinese citizens for their activities outside the country. Speaking with BBC Chinese, Professor Tom Kellogg, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, said, “This is another tool designed to control what Chinese citizens do and say overseas.”<\/p>\n Kellogg described the expansion of travel restrictions as \u2018deeply concerning\u2019. “In some cases, in order to prevent individuals from criticising the Chinese government overseas or to punish their rights advocacy activities, state security authorities directly refuse to issue passports.”<\/p>\n Some citizens say restrictions already exist<\/strong><\/p>\n Some Chinese nationals have reported facing unclear travel restrictions even before the latest rules came into effect.<\/p>\n A 26-year-old man identified as Pipi told BBC Chinese that his passport application was rejected in 2023. He believes the decision was linked to his participation in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in 2019.<\/p>\n According to him, an immigration official told him that he could not obtain a passport because of the \u2018Hong Kong issue\u2019, but he was not given an official written explanation.<\/p>\n Exit bans have increased<\/strong><\/p>\n Data provided to the BBC by rights group Safeguard Defenders indicates that the use of exit bans in China<\/a> has increased sharply in recent years.<\/p>\n China<\/a>‘s Supreme Court database contained 89 records mentioning exit bans in 2016. That number had risen to 188,760 by last year. The proportion of civil verdicts involving exit bans also increased from about 0.23% in 2019 to 7.3% in 2025.<\/p>\n The actual number could be higher, according to the report, as an increasing number of court judgments are being withheld from public access.<\/p>\n Officials to warn against travel to ‘high-risk’ areas<\/strong><\/p>\n The new rules also require border officials to advise Chinese citizens<\/a> against travelling to countries and regions classified as \u2018high-risk\u2019.<\/p>\n Some Chinese citizens were already facing restrictions on overseas travel before these rules came into effect. These reportedly included civil servants, employees of state-owned companies and ordinary citizens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
People found to have violated regulations related to the import and export of technology could also face restrictions on leaving the country, particularly when authorities believe such violations could threaten China\u2019s industrial or technological security.<\/p>\n