The State Council of the People’s Republic of China has issued a new regulation that starting from next year, Chinese employees of foreign embassies and consulates in China must strictly abide by Chinese laws, and Chinese citizens are not allowed to “privately engage” in employment at foreign embassies and consulates in China. Scholars believe that this move highlights the comprehensive tightening of the Chinese Communist authorities’ preventive thinking in the field of diplomatic security.
On September 15, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued the “Regulations on the Management of Chinese Employees of Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Missions in China,” which will come into effect on January 1, 2026. The regulations stipulate that Chinese employees are not allowed to engage in activities under the guise of diplomacy and are strictly prohibited from “endangering national security” and “harming public interests.”
According to Xinhua News Agency, Premier Li Keqiang signed the State Council Order on August 23, and the regulations consist of 12 articles in total. The content requires foreign embassy employees to comply with Chinese laws and be hired and managed through foreign affairs service agencies, with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing “Chinese Employee Certificates” as work credentials. The regulations also expressly prohibit Chinese citizens from “privately engaging” in employment at foreign embassies and consulates in China.
Hong Kong current affairs commentator Wang Shaoguang (pseudonym) stated in an interview, “This new regulation indicates that Beijing views Chinese employees working at foreign embassies as potential risks for intelligence penetration and sensitive information leakage, necessitating stronger control. However, these employees have already undergone scrutiny by the (Chinese Communist) state security department before employment, so why does the State Council need to introduce new regulations specifically?”
Wang Shaoguang pointed out, “While Beijing has previously required foreign embassies to hire Chinese employees through official foreign service companies, it did not escalate to the level of the State Council issuing specific regulations. This new regulation is, in fact, the authorities’ attempt to control comprehensively and institutionalize under the guise of ‘national security.'”
Official statements from Beijing claim that this measure is to “protect employee rights and standardize the hiring process.” However, observers believe that the core of the regulation lies in the prohibition of “endangering national security,” indicating that the authorities will comprehensively include employee behavior in security checks.
A Beijing scholar, Mr. Zhao, believes that the State Council’s move is to strengthen political loyalty and behavioral scrutiny of foreign embassy employees. He said, “This reflects the deep-seated anxiety of the Xi Jinping regime. In recent years, tensions between China and the United States, and China and Europe have intensified, making intelligence and personnel exchanges sensitive areas. The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) has released Chinese-language videos encouraging Chinese officials to engage with American intelligence agencies, and Beijing may be concerned about such scenarios.”
In fact, the Chinese authorities have long had regulations on Chinese employees working in foreign embassies. Since the 1990s, many foreign diplomatic missions in China have employed Chinese staff through local foreign affairs service companies. Their status essentially belongs to “contract workers” and they do not enjoy diplomatic privileges. Contracts must be filed with relevant departments, and their salaries and taxes are also regulated.
Wang Shaoguang stated, “In the past, it was mostly at the level of administrative regulations, lacking a unified national-level regulation. By now upgrading to a State Council Order, it not only enhances the legal effectiveness but also increases the legitimacy of police and state security involvement.” He believes that in the future, recruitment, behavior, and even departure of foreign embassy employees in China may face stricter political scrutiny.
Beijing’s decision to introduce the regulation at this moment is seen as a response to international relations tensions and internal security considerations. Chinese legal scholar Mr. Lao (pseudonym) stated, “Since the amendment of the ‘Counter-Espionage Law’ in 2023, the Chinese Communist Party has significantly tightened legislation in the national security field. This regulation targeting foreign embassy employees is an extension of strict enforcement of that law, as Beijing aims to plug all possible ‘intelligence leaks.'”
Mr. Lao also mentioned that Chinese employees designated by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs-specified service companies often carry political implications in their unique status: “As far as I know, these rigorously vetted employees mainly engage in functions like reception, clerical work, kitchen duties, gardening, and cleaning within the embassies. Generally, the employers do not allow them to access sensitive information, and such employment is official conduct of foreign countries, with no issue of ‘private employment.'”
Currently, no major country has publicly expressed its stance on this regulation. However, observers point out that foreign embassies heavily rely on local employees for their daily administrative and communication tasks, and China’s move may subject these employees to increased political pressure, potentially leading some to resign.
An unnamed former employee within the Chinese Communist Party’s diplomatic system told reporters, “For foreign embassies, Chinese employees were originally low-risk roles in administration and support. Now they are elevated to a national security level, indicating that the authorities not only want to oversee their behavior but also their thoughts and loyalty. This will make foreign embassies more cautious in employing Chinese nationals.”
Public opinion believes that Beijing’s new requirements for Chinese employees of foreign embassies essentially “militarize” the diplomatic field.