New rules governing entry and exit travel have come into effect in China, giving authorities broader powers under certain circumstances to prevent citizens from leaving the country.
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Chinese citizens deemed to have “harmed” China’s national security or interests while abroad may face a travel ban of up to three years after returning to the country, according to the new provisions.
The same measure may also be imposed on individuals who violate technology import and export regulations when authorities determine that such actions could jeopardize China’s technological or industrial security.
Beijing says the changes are intended to “protect national sovereignty and security,” while rejecting claims that they restrict travel by ordinary citizens.
An official Chinese platform that debunks false information said the aim was not to obstruct ordinary travel. According to the platform, the rules target unusual travel and seek to prevent departures for destinations classified as high-risk.
Authorities say the measures were also designed to prevent citizens from being deceived into going abroad or becoming involved in illegal activities, including gambling and online fraud.
Critics of the Chinese government, however, believe the rules could give Beijing another mechanism for monitoring the activities of its citizens outside China.
Professor Tom Kellogg, executive director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, told BBC Chinese that the measures create another tool for controlling what Chinese citizens say and do beyond the country’s borders.
He explained that, in certain cases, state security agencies may refuse to approve passports for people who criticize the Chinese government from abroad or engage in rights advocacy.
BBC Chinese also reported the story of a 26-year-old Chinese citizen identified by the pseudonym Pipi, who said his passport application was rejected in 2023.
According to Pipi, the rejection may have been linked to his participation in pro-democracy protests held in Hong Kong in 2019. He said he had been interviewed by Hong Kong media during the demonstrations and was questioned by state security police after returning to mainland China.
He said an immigration official had told him that he could not obtain a passport “because of the Hong Kong issue,” but that he had not been given any official explanation in writing.
“I am just an ordinary person. I am young and I have done nothing wrong. I do not know whether I will ever be able to leave China,” he said.
Data collected by the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders show that the number of exit bans in China has risen significantly in recent years. In 2016, the Chinese Supreme Court’s database listed only 89 cases mentioning such measures.
Last year, that figure had reached 188,760 cases. In addition, from 2019 to 2025, the share of civil rulings containing travel restrictions increased more than 30-fold, rising from approximately 0.23% to 7.3%.
Experts believe the actual figure may be higher, as the number of court rulings that are not made public has increased.
The new provisions also require border officials to advise Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to countries or regions deemed “high-risk.”
Restrictions of this kind, however, have previously been imposed on certain categories of citizens. Under certain circumstances, public administration employees and employees of state-owned companies are required to surrender their passports and obtain approval before traveling outside China.
A 32-year-old employee of a state-owned financial institution in Beijing, identified by the pseudonym Xiao Wang, told BBC Chinese that staff had been warned that certain countries, including Japan, were considered unsuitable travel destinations.
He added that some of his friends employed in the state administration, including people who work in museums, face significant difficulties traveling abroad. In some cases, because of their positions, they are not even allowed to apply directly for a passport.
Professor Kellogg described the increasingly broad travel restrictions as “deeply troubling.”
In his assessment, the measures demonstrate growing ideological control under Chinese President Xi Jinping and evoke memories of the Mao Zedong era.
During the decades of Mao Zedong’s rule, China remained largely cut off from the rest of the world. It was only in the 1990s, following economic reforms and the country’s opening up, that international travel began to become a more common part of life for Chinese citizens.
According to Kellogg, the travel restrictions currently in force “revive memories of that painful period.”
