China

Report: China Increasing ‘Exit Bans’

Published MAY 2 2023

Story

Image credit: aljazeera

The Facts

A new report by rights group Safeguard Defenders has claimed that China has increasingly stepped up its use of so-called 'exit bans' against both domestic residents and foreign visitors. Exit bans refer to when people are barred from leaving the country.
Reuters
As Beijing has recently passed new or amended existing laws expanding its ability to do so, mentions of exit bans within the Chinese Supreme Court database reportedly increased eightfold between 2016 and 2022.
guardian
The report further cites a 2022 academic paper, which found that there were 128 cases of exit bans against foreign nationals between 1995 and 2019 — including 18 Australians, 29 Americans, as well as 44 Canadians.
SBS News
According to a Chinese judicial report, 34K people were placed under exit bans between 2016 and 2018, a 55% rise from 2013-2015. The Safeguard Defenders report further claims that some cases of exit bans were also enforced "outside legal justification."
NBC
The report continued that, without official and specific data, it is "not possible to know" exactly how many people may be under exit bans at any given time. Only administrative, criminal, and civil-case-related exit bans appear on China Judgement Online's database.
Al Jazeera
Last week, China passed amendments to its counter-espionage law — including the ability for exit bans to now be imposed on both domestic and foreign nationals who are under any investigation. China's Public Security Bureau has not responded to requests for comment.
Asia Financial

Sources Split

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The Spin

Anti-China narrative

The world already knew China controlled every aspect of its own citizens' lives, but this report shows the PRC is now holding some foreign nationals hostage in the name of 'counter-espionage.' Besides business executives, Beijing has used these laws to target lawyers, journalists, and other foreigners dwelling in China. As Xi Jinping's government ramps up these tactics, overseas travelers should be cautious when stepping foot on Chinese soil.

Republic World

Pro-China narrative

China's safeguarding laws play an important part in protecting national security. Overseas espionage and hostile forces continue to intensify their infiltration into China, and such laws attempt to counter this threat. As is the case with every Chinese security law, decision-making in security processes strictly abides by statutory procedures and protects the legitimate rights of individuals and organizations.