China tightens travel restrictions for citizens

ByAbel U and Koh Ewe.

Key points

• When an administrative authority decides not to grant an administrative licence, it should explain the reasons in writing, under China's Administrative Licensing Law.
• China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and immigration authorities did not respond to enquiries from BBC Chinese.
• According to Pipi, he was interviewed by Hong Kong media outlets during the protests.
• The 32-year-old remarked managers have verbally reminded staff that "sensitive countries such as Japan are definitely off-limits".
• But critics say the new rules could further boost Beijing's ability to exert pressure on Chinese nationals' activities abroad.

New rules governing travel to and from China have come into effect, a move that observers say will further tighten the government's control over its citizens.

While scientific and technical personnel are among those brought under tighter controls, citizens deemed to have "harmed" China's national security or interests while overseas can additionally be barred from leaving China for up to three years after they return.

Chinese authorities say the rules are to "safeguard national sovereignty and security" and have denied that they restricted the travel of "ordinary citizens".

"This is another tool designed to control what Chinese citizens do and say overseas, " Professor Tom Kellogg, Executive Director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, informed BBC Chinese.

"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, " Kellogg adds.

Piyao, a Chinese administration "rumour-refuting" platform, posted a statement last week saying the new regulations were issued to address "problems" such as residents being deceived into leaving the country or engaging in illegal gambling and scam activities abroad.

In practice, the new rules "do not restrict the travel of ordinary citizens, but rather serve as a preventative measure against high-risk destinations and individuals with unusual travel patterns", the statement remarked.

But some Chinese nationals have documented facing murky travel restrictions for years.

One 26-year-old Chinese citizen. This person wished to be identified only as Pipi, informed BBC Chinese that his passport application in 2023 was rejected and he believes it was as he attended the massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019.

According to Pipi, he was interviewed by Hong Kong media outlets during the protests. When he returned to China, he was questioned by state security police.

He remarked one immigration official informed him that he could not obtain a passport "because of the Hong Kong issue" – but this was not confirmed in writing to him.

"If they have given me an official document, I could apply for administrative reconsideration. But all they remarked was one sentence: 'You can't go, '" Pipi stated.

Pipi remarked he did not dare to escalate the matter, fearing he would "end up in prison".

"I'm just an ordinary person, right? I'm a young man, and I haven't done anything bad, " he remarked. "I don't know whether I'll ever be able to leave."

According to publicly available information, Chinese citizens at present cannot check whether they are subject to exit controls on their own.

Unless official written or verbal notification is issued, individuals generally only discover they are restricted from leaving when applying for documents or attempting to depart.

When an administrative authority decides not to grant an administrative licence, it should explain the reasons in writing, under China's Administrative Licensing Law. But some individuals interviewed by the BBC stated this requirement is not enforced.

Under the new rules taking effect on Tuesday, border authorities are now additionally required to advise Chinese nationals against travelling to countries and regions deemed "high-risk".

But prior to this, some in China – ranging from civil servants and state-owned enterprise employees to ordinary citizens – already faced restrictions from going to certain countries.

Meanwhile, a man identified by his pseudonym, Xiao Wang. This person works at a state-owned financial institution in Beijing, informed BBC Chinese that his fellow employees have long been required to surrender their passports and secure approval for overseas travel.

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old remarked managers have verbally reminded staff that "sensitive countries such as Japan are definitely off-limits".

Some of his civil servant friends, even those working in museums, find it "very difficult" to travel abroad and have been informed they cannot directly apply for passports as of their jobs, Xiao Wang noted.

Kellogg, the legal expert, called the expanding travel restrictions "deeply concerning" and remarked they reflect a "growing ideological control under Chinese leader Xi Jinping". It is reminiscent of Mao Zedong's era.

After China underwent a series of reforms and opening up, china was largely cut off from the world under Mao's decades-long regime, and international travel only became a part of life for Chinese individuals in the 1990s.

Today's various travel restrictions, Kellogg remarked, "bring back memories of that painful era".

In short, china tightens travel restrictions for citizens is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.