China has introduced new travel restrictions that could prevent some of its citizens from leaving the country over concerns linked to national security, technology and illegal activities.
The new rules, which took effect on Tuesday, allow Chinese authorities to impose exit bans on citizens considered to pose a threat to the country’s industrial or technological security.
According to China’s State Council, individuals who violate regulations governing the import and export of technology could be stopped from leaving the country.
The rules also state that Chinese citizens involved in illegal activities abroad may be prohibited from leaving China for between six months and three years after returning to the country.
The measures were initially released in July but became effective on Tuesday. The State Council said they were designed to protect China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
The new restrictions come amid growing tensions between China and the United States over technology and artificial intelligence. Both countries have accused each other of attempting to obtain or copy advanced technologies and locally developed AI capabilities.
However, analysts have raised concerns about the broad nature of the new travel rules.
Chong Ja Ian, a political science expert at the National University of Singapore, said terms such as security and criminal activities could be interpreted broadly and changed depending on circumstances.
He said the international community would only fully understand how far the authorities could apply the rules once actual cases emerged.
Chong also referred to reports of China imposing exit restrictions on foreign nationals, including the case of US citizen and political analyst Min Zin.
The United States said Min Zin was taken into custody in Yunnan province on June 3 and improperly detained. Chinese authorities rejected the allegation in August, saying he was suspected of violating Chinese law.
Chong said the case showed that the number of people who could potentially be prevented from leaving China could be wide and, in some situations, difficult to predict.
Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the new restrictions were also intended to send a message that China would act against activities it considers a threat to national security or sensitive national interests.
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