China introduces broad travel restrictions linked to technology security

China has introduced exit restrictions for citizens accused of endangering industrial or technological security, including through breaches of technology trade rules. The State Council says the measures protect national security, while analysts warn that their broad wording could allow arbitrary enforcement and affect foreign and Taiwanese travelers.

China’s new exit-and-entry rules took effect Tuesday, imposing travel restrictions on citizens considered to have endangered the country’s industrial or technological security, according to the State Council. The regulations were passed in July and include people found to have violated technology import and export rules, particularly in artificial intelligence.

The State Council said the measures were designed to safeguard China’s “national sovereignty, security, and development interests.” They apply to Chinese citizens inside the country and to citizens judged to have committed criminal acts abroad. In those cases, people may be barred from leaving China for six months to three years after returning, the State Council said.

The rules come as China and the United States compete over advanced technology and accuse each other of stealing domestically developed artificial-intelligence models, according to the supplied report. Analysts said the practical reach of the measures will become clearer as authorities begin applying them.

Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore told AFP that terms involving security and criminal activity could be defined broadly and adjusted easily, giving Beijing a “wide remit.” He also pointed to the case of US citizen Min Zin, whom the US government said was improperly detained in Yunnan province in June, as an example of the potential breadth of exit restrictions.

Foreign nationals may also be denied entry to China for up to five years if authorities find that they made false statements on visa applications. The report said foreign governments have previously described cases in which citizens were prevented from leaving China during security-related investigations.

The rules could have particular consequences for Taiwanese technology workers who travel between Taiwan and China. Taipei has urged citizens to exercise caution, while Beijing says the regulations provide stronger legal protection for Taiwanese nationals. Dylan Loh of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University told AFP that the restrictions signal China’s intent to prevent leaks involving security or other sensitive national interests.