Advertisement
US-China relations
EconomyChina Economy

China travel risk for American citizens ‘unchanged’ despite exit bans: US trade group

The US-China Business Council says cases follow a pre-existing pattern and do not apply to most travellers

2-MIN READ2-MIN
2
Listen
People walk in the departures hall at Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, on January 8, 2023.
Ralph Jennings

China’s recent exit bans on two American businesspeople do not raise the travel risk for US-based executives, as neither case appears “geopolitical or retaliatory”, an American trade advocacy group has said.

“The risk of exit bans, detentions, or other complications has not changed for most travellers,” according to the US-China Business Council, though it acknowledged that the high-profile cases had led companies to reassess their travel procedures to limit risks.

Advertisement
In July, Beijing said it had barred a senior Wells Fargo executive from leaving the country over a criminal investigation, prompting the American bank to suspend all business travel to the country.
Three months earlier, an employee of the US Patent and Trademark Office was also banned from leaving China during a personal visit to relatives.
US citizens just looking to enjoy the sights of China are unlikely to face issues, an expert says. Photo: Shutterstock
US citizens just looking to enjoy the sights of China are unlikely to face issues, an expert says. Photo: Shutterstock

“Both situations appear to follow existing enforcement patterns and do not portend higher than usual travel risk for American executives,” the report’s authors said.

Chinese criminal or civil law cases have been “historically common reasons” for exit bans, according to the August 22 report. Probes into a company’s business associates, including suppliers and customers, may “create complications” for travelling employees.

Exit bans have been a sticking point in the China-US relationship along with trade tariffs, export controls, geopolitical tensions around the Asia-Pacific and other issues.

Advertisement

However, the trade group’s discussions with travelling executives, government officials and security experts “suggest safety concerns are generally unchanged in recent months”.

Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x