Persons in China: Reasons for tensions with the USA

Persons in China: Reasons for tensions with the USA

Hong Kong-China recently has a Wells Fargo-Manager to leave the country. This shows the country's non-transparent judicial and security system and arouses concern about the risks that foreign companies and citizens are exposed to in China.

Current developments

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the ban on departure for the Wells Fargo banker Mao Chenyue on Monday and said that she was "involved in criminal proceedings" and had to cooperate with the investigation without revealing further details. At the same time, the US State Department announced that an employee of the US patent and brand office was prevented from leaving the country. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry emphasized: "The security and the protection of American citizens have a top priority for us." It is reported that this employee has not been able to leave since mid-April and was mainly questioned about his past in the US Army.

What are exit bans?

James Zimmerman, a lawyer in Beijing and former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, explained that the use of departure bans by the government was "nothing new". Such bans are often used in criminal investigations to prevent suspects or witnesses who are considered to be the risk of escape. The legal foundations for such prohibitions are usually legitimate, but there are also cases of abuse for political reasons.

The exact figures for people affected by departure bans are not published by China, but it is known that this practice is used far more frequently against Chinese citizens than against foreigners. Human rights lawyers, activists and their relatives often see each other.

Who can be affected by departure bans?

In addition to the suspects concerned, Beijing has also banned departure against people who are not directly involved in legal proceedings. As early as 2019, the US government gave a Travel recommendation , which asked Americans to have "additional caution" when traveling to China, since they are often used "koerzeric". In an example from 2018, the Americans Victor and Cynthia Liu were prevented from leaving China to put pressure on their father who was sought because of financial crimes.

information on national security

China has passed or changed several laws in recent years to expand the scope of the ban on exit, especially for reasons of national security. In 2023, the already comprehensive anti -spy network was changed in such a way that prohibitions on exit are also permitted for Chinese and foreigners who are suspected of presenting a threat to national security after leaving the country.

A report by Safeguard Defenders, a human rights group, estimated that at all times there are at least tens of thousands of people in China. This includes millions of Tibetans and Uighers, which are exposed to ethnically motivated departure bans, mostly by the confiscation and refusal of passports.

consequences of the ban on exit

An American entrepreneur in Beijing reported anonymously that the concerns within the foreign business world increase with every announcement of a ban on exit or the arrest of a foreigner. "The ambiguities on the part of the Foreign Ministry about the reasons for arrests lead to greater concern. If people are afraid to travel to China, the investment will go back," said the entrepreneur.

for the first half of 2025, China's Ministry of Commerce reported on a decline in foreign investments by 15.2 % compared to the previous year's period, since the country is faced with a variety of economic challenges.

The unclear situation and the ban on exit could undermine the trust in China's legal system and prevent companies from sending employees back to China.

However, these developments do not seem to reverse the positive steps that the USA and China have undertaken in the past few weeks. Experts believe that these prohibitions on departure could make negotiations on the conditions of a possible summit between XI and Trump more difficult, which is important in the coming months.