Starting from September 15th, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will implement new “Immigration and Exit Management Regulations,” further tightening control over mainland Chinese people leaving the country, which has become a hot topic in society. Despite the policy tightening, the desire of mainland Chinese people to go abroad has not weakened. Li Bin, an employee at a foreign intermediary company, stated that under the current background of continuous economic downturn, difficult livelihoods, and severe speech control, the desire to go abroad has become even stronger.
The new regulations of the CCP’s “Immigration and Exit Management Regulations” clearly specify various situations in which exiting the country is not allowed, including those that involve national security and interests. At the same time, the scope of passport confiscation is also expanding. Of particular concern is that even with a passport, one may not necessarily be able to leave smoothly, as the reasons for exiting may also be subject to scrutiny.
So, in a situation where exit controls are becoming stricter, why do many mainland Chinese people still hope to go abroad?
Li Bin told Dajiyuan that after the pandemic, China’s economy continues to decline, making employment difficult. More people are considering going abroad, and there is an increase in the number of people seeking foreign job opportunities through intermediaries. “Many friends around me want to go abroad.”
He described the current life of mainland Chinese people as “economically depressed and unbearable! Previously, whenever a space in our shops became available, it would be immediately rented out, but now they remain vacant for up to a year. Ordinary people riding electric bikes to work are stopped and fined by traffic police at every intersection.”
Li Bin said that there are more people around him wanting to go abroad than before, but they are struggling to exit smoothly. “Many people want to go out, but they can’t, they are stuck here.”
In addition to economic and employment pressures, increasingly strict speech and information control are also important reasons why some people choose to leave the mainland.
Zhi Yuan, a private business owner in mainland China, told Dajiyuan that the authorities’ tightening control over speech and information is suffocating the people, reaching a level of extreme sensitivity and fear.
Zhi Yuan stated, “In my mind, a beautiful country and a beautiful world are based on democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, universal values. I believe that these are what truly benefit our people, not the autocratic dictatorship of the Communist Party. The CCP regime is evil; in reality, China is a huge prison concentration camp.”
Zhi Yuan has been restricted from leaving the country due to expressing criticism of the authorities. He fears being arrested at any moment and is constantly seeking opportunities to escape China. “One day, they might just arrest me. I can’t get a passport; I have considered ‘running.’ I will find every way to get out. I refuse to believe that I cannot escape.”
At the age of 60, Li Bin has also been trying to leave China. He stated, “If the restrictions on Chinese people leaving the country were completely lifted, it is possible that all Chinese people would leave.”
Li Bin even believes that if the United States were geographically close to China like Japan or South Korea, there might be a large number of people choosing to sneak across the borders.
Li Bin stated that the tightening of exit controls by the authorities has ironically made the desire of some people to go abroad even stronger. “The desire to go abroad but being unable to do so” has become an insurmountable obstacle for some mainland Chinese people.