China denied on Tuesday that it is doing anything wrong as it reportedly prevents “dozens” of Americans from leaving the country under an “exit ban” policy, including at least one U.S. government official.
Reports emerged Monday afternoon that an American citizen, an employee of the Commerce Department, has been barred from leaving China and prevented from returning to the U.S. since his passport, credit card, cellphone and iPad were seized on April 14, reported The New York Times.
The passport was reportedly returned to the individual one week later on April 22, though he was told he was not allowed to leave China.
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The identity of the government official remains unknown, though a spokesperson for the State Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that the individual is a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee and was traveling to China “in a personal capacity.”
While it is unclear if any other U.S. government officials have been barred from leaving China, a spokesperson for Beijing’s foreign ministry, Guo Jiakun, told reporters on Tuesday during a press briefing that he had no additional details to share.
“China upholds the rule of law and handles entry and exit affairs in accordance with the law,” he said.
In response to Fox News Digital’s questions, the State Department said, “The Chinese government has, for many years, imposed exit bans on U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals in China, often without a clear and transparent process for resolution.
“We track these cases closely, and have raised our concern with Chinese authorities about the well being of our citizens and impact these arbitrary exit bans have on our bilateral relations and urged them to immediately allow impacted U.S. citizens to return home,” a spokesperson added.
The department in November 2024 issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Americans considering travel to China.
The advisory issued a warning to “exercise increased caution” due to Beijing’s “arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., said they were “not aware of” the case’s details, but added, “China always welcomes foreign citizens, including those of the United States, to come to China and guarantees their safety and legitimate rights and interests in China in accordance with the law, including freedom of entry and exit.
“Meanwhile, foreign citizens in China should also respect and abide by Chinese laws,” the spokesperson added.
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has enshrined the “right to freedom of movement,” which says “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country,” it is not an absolute right, and nations can choose to hold individuals depending on certain conditions, including national security concerns.
It is unclear why the Commerce Department employee has been blocked from returning to the U.S. where his wife also lives, though he was apparently questioned by Chinese intelligence authorities about his prior military service.
Reporting has suggested that dozens of Americans have been barred from leaving China, including Wells Fargo Managing Director Chenyue Mao.
Mao is the latest business executive to be barred from leaving China, which has become increasingly common in recent years, prompting Wells Fargo to suspend all travel to China earlier this month.
The Wells Fargo banker has reportedly been blocked from leaving China over her alleged link to a criminal investigation. How long she will be required to stay in China remains unclear.
Neither the Commerce Department nor Wells Fargo immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding this report.
