The new entry and exit management regulations of the Chinese Communist Party will officially take effect on September 15th, according to informed sources within the Chinese system. These sources have revealed that various international airports and land ports in China have quietly implemented trial runs since August 1st. They are focusing on inspecting passengers traveling to Southeast Asian countries and have identified individuals in the financial, technology, chip, and artificial intelligence sectors as key inspection targets. Travel agencies have also received notices requiring some passengers to submit consent letters from their units or street offices.
Mr. Ge, an informed individual within the Chinese system, told reporters that these regulations have been in trial implementation at Chinese international airports and land ports since August 1st. The inspection targets include passengers traveling to Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Outbound personnel are required to provide identification and relevant documents explaining the purpose of their trip, itinerary, and related details.
Ge further disclosed that another category of key individuals subject to inspection are those working in the fields of finance, technology, chips, and artificial intelligence. The restrictions do not only apply to engineers; employees of relevant companies may also be included on the restricted list.
Additionally, Ge revealed that land ports in Guangdong Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Yunnan Ruili have also tightened their exit inspections. The new regulations have not been officially implemented yet but are being enforced at the ports in advance, with on-site personnel conducting additional reviews based on travelers’ occupations, destinations, and system records.
The new regulations by the Chinese State Council grant greater investigative powers to the entry and exit management department, allowing them to question individuals, verify reasons for exiting the country, and request documents, information, and electronic data. Chinese authorities have explained these measures as aimed at combating cross-border fraud, illegal technology transfers, and activities that jeopardize so-called industrial security.
Network engineer Mr. Ding told reporters that the authorities have not publicly disclosed a specific list of restrictions for the technology, chip, and artificial intelligence industries. This means that border control personnel have significant discretion: “They can re-verify travelers’ identities based on internal documents. With extensive networked big data, it is easy to verify the identities of inbound and outbound individuals. If your answers do not match the information they have, you may be denied exit.”
Recently, some internet users have reported authorities from their hometown contacting them inquiring about their international travel experiences and current city of residence, workplace name, and other information. Police have requested them to “carry their ID and take a photo of themselves holding it along with that day’s lottery ticket (watermark camera) at the entrance of a government department or local police station.”
Travel agencies across China have also been notified recently to authenticate the identities of tourists traveling overseas. Mr. Liu, a travel agency employee in Guangzhou, told reporters that their agency received a notice requiring some registered passengers to provide consent letters from their units or street offices to prevent individuals from absconding during overseas tours: “As some people hold dual nationality with foreign passports and assets abroad, to prevent them from not returning after going overseas, they are not allowed to participate in overseas tours.”
Pictures circulated by internet users show that when registering passport applications, the system prompts applicants to bring a consent letter from their unit when applying for entry and exit documents, to be processed at the public security bureau’s entry and exit management department in their place of residence or registration. The template for the consent letter requires the applicant’s name, ID number, position, type of document being applied for, the signature of the responsible person, and the stamp of the unit.
The scrutiny of individuals leaving the country by the Chinese authorities has extended from international airports, land ports, and travel agencies to local police stations in their place of residence. In addition to tracking residents’ past outbound experiences, the police are also requesting information about their current city of residence, workplace, financial transactions, and recent living conditions.
The requirement for individuals applying for passports to obtain consent from their units has long been in place. The new regulations include granting the entry and exit management department the authority to verify reasons for exiting the country, access documents and electronic data. Units, travel agencies, and grassroots organizations may further raise approval thresholds to avoid bearing responsibility.
Mr. Guo, a businessman in Shanghai, told reporters that many wealthy businessmen are currently consulting overseas lawyers to minimize potential financial losses. He mentioned a 20% overseas asset tax: “These days, wealthy individuals are trying to manage their assets abroad. While they may not be comparable to Jack Ma or Liu Qiangdong, losing 20% of a few billion yuan is still a significant amount.”
The Chinese authorities have long restricted specific individuals from leaving the country through centralized custody of passports, unit approval, boundary control lists, and port inspections. Prior to the official implementation of these regulations on September 15th, trial runs have expanded inspection targets from registered individuals within the system to employees of financial and technology enterprises, travelers to Southeast Asia, and members of tour groups. Ge also revealed that authorities intend to highlight typical cases as a warning to the public before the new measures are implemented on September 15th.