The new entry and exit regulations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came into effect on Tuesday, September 15, prompting analysts to believe that it further strengthens the government’s control over its citizens, reminiscent of the decades-long travel restrictions during the Mao Zedong era. Under the new regulations, some Chinese citizens face restrictions on emigration or travel abroad, with Japan and the United States potentially becoming “no-go zones” for some individuals.
According to the Financial Times, the CCP has been tightening exit travel for senior officials, CCP cadres, and employees of state-owned enterprises, and the regulations that took effect on Tuesday institutionalize these restrictive measures.
Immigration experts indicate that the scope of the new regulations will also cover ordinary citizens working in sensitive areas. Violators of the new rules may face substantial fines and be subject to exit bans ranging from three months to an indefinite period.
Henry Gao, a law professor at Singapore Management University, told the Financial Times, “The outcome of these new regulations may gradually return to the model before the 1990s, where international travel is no longer considered a personal right but more as a privilege requiring administrative approval.”
“In addition to restricting personnel mobility, this approach will firmly place individuals and capital more under the control of the Party and the state,” he said.
Tom Kellogg, executive director of the Asian Law Center at Georgetown University and adjunct law professor, told BBC Chinese, “This is another tool to control the speech and actions of Chinese citizens abroad.”
Kellogg added, “In some cases, to prevent individuals from criticizing the Chinese (CCP) government overseas or punishing their rights activities, the state security agencies may directly refuse to issue passports.”
Data from the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders shows that in recent years, the CCP authorities have significantly strengthened restrictions on citizens’ exits. Even the Supreme People’s Court database of the CCP showed that in 2016, only 89 cases mentioned exit restrictions, but by last year, this number had soared to 188,760 cases.
Between 2019 and 2025, the proportion of civil judgments involving exit restrictions increased more than 30 times, from approximately 0.23% to 7.3%. Due to more judgments being temporarily suspended, the actual number of such cases is believed to be even higher.
As these new regulations are introduced, the CCP is constructing a regulatory system aimed at dealing with foreign sanctions and competing with the United States for technological dominance. As part of this system, the CCP has tightened travel restrictions, which now extend beyond officials to include personnel from other industries. One of the recent highly publicized cases involves Xiao Hong, CEO of the AI platform Manus, and other executives, who were placed under exit bans as the company was sold to the US tech giant Meta.
Dai Menghao, a partner at King & Wood law firm responsible for trade compliance, told the Financial Times that these regulations do not specifically target the private sector, but do provide a clearer path for “relevant departments to impose exit bans on employees of private enterprises, including technical executives and researchers.” He further explained, “The wording ‘potential harm’ in the new regulations also gives considerable discretion to the relevant departments.”
Article 10 of the new regulations encourages private immigration agencies assisting families in applying for overseas residency to report any “public servants, military personnel or other individuals” attempting to “violate” exiting the country.
Professor Gao pointed out that even if the relevant departments do not officially issue orders, individuals facing the risk of rejection may develop a self-censoring mentality, thus deterring them from applying for travel.
Dai Menghao stated that although the new regulations clearly outline the risks or violations that could trigger bans, the “broad language of the regulations may have a chilling effect on actual travel.”
Immigration consulting firms have already felt the impact of this policy on their business operations.
The Financial Times reported that the general manager of an immigration company in Shanghai mentioned that they are extra cautious in assisting with matters related to “public sector personnel, technical positions in top technology companies, and their families.”
The same general manager noted that the relevant authorities are expanding the definition of “public servants” to include employees of public schools, research institutions, public hospitals, and state-owned enterprises, among others. Additionally, spouses and children of relevant individuals are often subject to restrictions.
The owner of another immigration agency told the Financial Times that the relevant authorities do not explicitly state in written documents that “sensitive groups” are prohibited from applying for foreign permanent residency. However, the approval process is often made so stringent that such applications become practically impossible.
According to the new regulations that took effect on Tuesday, border officials of the CCP must now advise Chinese citizens against traveling to countries and regions deemed “high-risk.”
Some groups in China, including civil servants, employees of state-owned enterprises, and ordinary citizens, have already faced restrictions on traveling to certain countries.
In November last year, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae stated that if Taiwan were attacked, Japan might be compelled to take military action. This statement sparked tensions between China and Japan, leading to some individuals finding travel approvals to Japan increasingly difficult.
“Japan is a newly added restricted destination for travel this year,” a banker at a Chinese bank in Beijing told the Financial Times.
Others have reported receiving calls from individuals claiming to be from the immigration authority, advising them against traveling to the United States and other places.
The Financial Times reported an account of Mr. Zhao, a university lecturer in Guangzhou who had purchased round-trip tickets to the United States to visit a friend. Just a few hours before his departure in May last year, he received a call from someone claiming to be from the “immigration authority,” dissuading him from going.
“They told me going to the United States was not a wise decision. They said the US immigration department might inspect my laptop and phone,” Zhao said.
He was puzzled by the warning. “I don’t have any top-secret information, and my work doesn’t involve anything that could endanger national security.”
Ultimately, Zhao canceled his trip, incurring a loss of about $2,000 due to the short notice. “I just wanted to visit a friend who was about to become a mother,” he said. “I had no other plans.”
Xiaowang, a 32-year-old employee at a state-owned financial institution in Beijing, told BBC Chinese that his colleagues have long been required to surrender passports and obtain approval for travel abroad.
Xiaowang mentioned that management has verbally warned employees that “sensitive countries like Japan are definitely off-limits.”
He stated that some of his friends, including civil servants and friends working in museums, found it “very difficult” to travel abroad and were informed that they could not directly apply for passports due to work reasons.
Legal expert Kellogg told BBC Chinese that the CCP’s expanded travel restrictions are “deeply concerning.” He stated that this move reflects “Xi Jinping’s increasingly stringent ideological control,” reminiscent of the Mao Zedong era.
Under Mao Zedong’s rule for decades, China was essentially isolated from the world until the 1990s when international travel became part of Chinese life after undergoing a series of reforms.
Kellogg commented that the various travel restrictions today evoke memories of “that painful era.”