China restricts foreign travel by bankers, state workers to curb spying

According to official notices and more than a dozen people with knowledge of the situation, Chinese civil servants and employees of state-affiliated enterprises are subject to stricter restrictions on personal travel abroad and increased scrutiny of their foreign connections as Beijing fights foreign influence.

Ten current and former workers told the media that since 2021, restrictions have been broadened to include prohibitions on international travel, stricter restrictions on the frequency and length of travels, onerous approval procedures, and pre-departure confidentiality training. They claimed that the actions had nothing to do with COVID-19.

According to two analysts who spoke to the media, the moves reflect President Xi Jinping’s attention to national security in the midst of tense relations with the West. China recently promoted anti-spying initiatives among its populace and passed new legislation that widened the scope of spying.

In China, senior government officials and state executives with access to sensitive information have long been subject to restrictions on personal international travel. According to the most recent data from 2015, there were 7 million public officials in China, and there were 70 million people employed by state-owned enterprises. Reuters discovered that these restrictions are now affecting these numbers.

According to a teacher in Zhejiang province’s southeast and a person with knowledge of new rules implemented in a Shanghai area this year, some public school instructors now face additional restrictions on their ability to go abroad.

An employee of a state-affiliated mutual fund said that recent travel restrictions had been extended to new workers in Hong Kong and Singapore. A big office of the state policy lender China Development Bank has reportedly barred abroad travel this year.

According to media sources, one of the 10 people who discussed travel restrictions, and three other state-enterprise employees with knowledge of the situation, Chinese officials are also looking into individuals’ personal international relationships.

These individuals claimed they started receiving questionnaires in the latter part of last year from organisations including the Communist Youth League, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), local governments, and their various businesses.

According to the respondents, the applications requested information on relatives who had a foreign nationality or permanent residency abroad, as well as specifics about any foreign help or experience. They added that this was the first time they had ever seen the demands.

As China increases its public messaging about foreign influence, the actions are being taken. The Ministry of State Security issued a warning about the possibility of Chinese being recruited abroad in August on its recently formed WeChat account after identifying a Chinese person in Italy who was thought to be spying for the American Central Intelligence Agency.

(With agency inputs)