China has blocked a United States government employee, among others, from leaving the country, according to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy said on Tuesday that an employee of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, an agency under the Commerce Department, was "made subject to an exit ban in China." and that they "are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.” The Embassy did not disclose the identity of the employee.
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, offered no additional details and refused to confirm or deny the existence of the exit ban. During a briefing on Tuesday, Jiakun said, “China is a country with rule of law, and all matters concerning entry and exit are handled in accordance with the law."
The Washington Post had reported that the government employee had traveled to China months ago, but was prevented from leaving because he had failed to disclose on his VISA that he was an employee of the U.S. government. The New York Times, citing a U.S. State Department cable, said the employee was subject to the ban beginning in mid-April and has been interrogated by Chinese intelligence about his prior service in the U.S. military. The man told Chinese officers he once held an entry-level position at a nuclear institute in China, studied engineering in graduate school in Puerto Rico, and worked on Black Hawk helicopters during his time in the U.S. Army. They seized his passport, credit card, cellphone, and iPad initially, and later returned the items to him.
This comes as just recently, an employee of Wells Fargo, Chenyue Mao, was hit with a similar exit ban. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the ban on Monday, claiming that she was required to assist in a criminal probe. Wells Fargo has suspended all travel to China following the incident.
Western officials are saying that the use of exit bans is increasingly common in China, and those subject to the bans are unaware until they attempt to leave the country. Most of the restrictions are not placed on those accused of crimes, but target those involved in civil litigation and business disputes. In other cases, exit bans are used to pressure dissidents, gain leverage in disputes with foreign companies and governments, or aid in criminal investigations. The bans can stretch on for months and sometimes years.