China tightens travel restrictions for citizens

China has imposed a range of sweeping new rules restricting travel in and out of the country in a move that observers say will give the government even more control over its citizens.

Citizens deemed to have "harmed" China's national security or interests while overseas can also be barred from leaving China for up to three years.

But the law also says that it will apply to anyone considered a threat to the country's industrial or technological security.

China keeps close scrutiny on sectors like semiconductors and AI, as the race between Beijing and Washington for tech dominance heats up. According to reports, travel restrictions were earlier imposed on some executives from these industries.

In March, the co-founders of Manus - an AI company that had been acquired by Meta - were reportedly barred from leaving China.

Under the new rules, border officials are now also required to advise Chinese nationals against travelling to countries and regions deemed "high-risk".

But even prior to the rules being announced, some people were already restricted from going to certain countries. Civil servants were among the earliest groups subjected to these controls, which later expanded to include state-owned enterprise employees and ordinary citizens.

A retired grassroots civil servant in Anhui told BBC Chinese that around 2018, his workplace made employees surrender their passports. His passport remains in the custody of his former employer even though he retired last year.