On July 22, the U.S. State Department confirmed that Beijing has blocked an American federal employee from leaving the country—another troubling incident in a growing pattern of detentions by the communist regime.
The employee, who works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), was “made subject to an exit ban in China,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added, “We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” while emphasizing that the State Department “has no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the matter during a regular press conference but did say, “I have no details to share. China upholds the rule of law and handles entry and exit affairs in accordance with the law.”
According to the Washington Post, the U.S. government employee traveled to China several months ago to visit family and “now has been caught up in China’s controversial practice of blocking Chinese and foreign nationals from leaving China.”
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According to four people familiar with the matter, the individual was barred from leaving the country because he failed to disclose that he worked for the American government on his visa application, the Post reported.
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Barred from leaving
In addition, Chinese authorities have barred a senior Wells Fargo executive from leaving the country amid a criminal investigation—further fueling concerns that such actions are part of a growing pattern by the communist regime.
Chenyue Mao, born in Shanghai, who currently serves the bank as a managing director, travelled to China recently on a business trip only to be barred from leaving the country.
Chenyue has not been charged with any crime but is required to remain in China and to cooperate with the investigation, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
“Ms. Mao Chenyue is involved in a criminal case currently being handled by Chinese authorities who have lawfully imposed exit restrictions on her,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on July 21.
No further information was provided and her case has not been linked to any known business dispute or specific allegations.
In a brief statement, the bank said that it was “closely tracking this situation and working through the appropriate channels so our employee can return to the United States as soon as possible,” CNN reported.
Wells Fargo has a limited presence in China, maintaining offices in only two Chinese cities, Beijing and Shanghai.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the bank is seeking “clarification through diplomatic and legal channels, hoping to avoid further complications by maintaining a low profile,” The Independent reported.
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A troubling pattern
These two cases are only the most recent examples of individuals being barred from leaving China.
Earlier this month, on July 16, a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma was sentenced by a Beijing court to three and a half years in prison under the country’s dubious anti-espionage laws.
Leon Wang, president of AstraZeneca China, has been detained in the country since December, 2024, with very little information being shared about his status.
In addition, in late 2023, Charles Wang Zhonghe, a senior employee of Japan’s Nomura Holdings, was banned by communist authorities from leaving the country and in March of that year communist authorities raided the Mintz Group’s Beijing offices, detained its employees and fined the company $1.5 million. The employees were not released until after two years of detention.
This trend appears to have escalated in recent years following the expansion of China’s anti-espionage laws in July, 2023.
At that time, China dramatically broadened the scope of the law by expanding the definition of espionage, and targeting more entities including businesses, NGOs, journalists, researchers and normal citizens.
China’s communist authorities employ vague terms like “national security” and “state secrets,” granting officials sweeping powers and encouraging citizens to report suspicious behavior—effectively turning anti-espionage enforcement into a nationwide civic obligation.
When the law was implemented, Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council said that the changes in the anti-espionage law “have raised legitimate concerns about conducting certain routine business activities, which now risk being considered espionage,” The Guardian reported.
