An employee of the U.S. Department of Commerce has become the focus of a travel restriction enforced by Chinese authorities, as officials in Beijing confirm new information regarding another American involved in similar circumstances.
On Monday, a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department acknowledged that the unidentified employee of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, who was traveling in China for personal reasons, is currently subjected to an exit ban.
The spokesperson stated, “We can confirm that a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee, while traveling to China in a personal capacity, was made subject to an exit ban in China. We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
According to a report by The New York Times, the incident began in mid-April when the individual, a U.S. citizen, was stopped from leaving China after his travel documents were seized by local authorities in Chengdu on April 14.
Documents reportedly show that after a week, the employee’s passport and other belongings such as his credit card, cellphone, and iPad were returned to him on April 22, but he was informed that he could not leave the country at this time.
During a press briefing on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson refrained from providing details about the Department of Commerce employee’s situation, stating merely that Beijing “upholds the rule of law and handles entry and exit affairs in accordance with the law.”
In the same briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiaku confirmed that Wells Fargo banker Mao Chenyue also faces exit restrictions amid a criminal investigation.
She stated, “Ms. Mao Chenyue is involved in a criminal case currently being handled by Chinese law-enforcement authorities and is subjected to exit restrictions in accordance with the law. Pursuant to Chinese laws, with the case still under investigation, Ms. Mao cannot leave the country for the time being and has an obligation to cooperate with the investigation.”
Chenyue, who serves as a Managing Director at Wells Fargo and is based in Atlanta, holds dual citizenship due to her background, having been born in Shanghai. Her LinkedIn profile indicates that she is fluent in English and Chinese.
Wells Fargo has been closely monitoring Chenyue’s case. In a statement, the company said, “We are closely tracking this situation and working through the appropriate channels so our employee can return to the United States as soon as possible.”
The U.S. State Department, while declining to go into detail regarding Chenyue’s legal status, reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and security of American citizens abroad.
A State Department spokesperson stated, “We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
Travel advisories from the State Department urge Americans traveling in China to exercise heightened caution, emphasizing the potential for arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including the imposition of exit bans.
The advisory notes that U.S. citizens may often discover they are subject to an exit ban only when they attempt to leave China and stresses the lack of available legal recourse through Chinese courts to contest such bans.
Moreover, the Chinese government does not recognize dual nationality, which, according to the State Department, can expose U.S. citizens of Chinese descent to additional scrutiny and potential harassment.
These incidents occur against a backdrop of escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.
In June 2023, discussions on establishing a new trade framework between the two nations were undertaken, following President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese imports.
The trade war has seen reciprocal tariff increases, with Mr. Trump setting a deadline of August 12 for a new deal to be struck to prevent further escalations in tariff rates.
The ongoing standoff has heightened the risks for American businesses operating in China, already facing increasing scrutiny.
In June, after multiple U.S. firms were subjected to raids by Chinese authorities, Beijing-based business lawyer James Zimmerman characterized the environment as fraught with challenges, noting that activities appearing benign could be misconstrued as national security threats.
He lamented, “Unfortunately, in that kind of environment, it’s very difficult to operate — when everything is viewed as a national security matter and… it looks as if…. anything you do could be considered to be spying.”
The latest developments involving U.S. citizens in China underscore the complex and often precarious nature of American engagements abroad, particularly within China’s evolving legal landscape.
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