US Government Worker Hit with Exit Ban in China During Personal Trip

A US government employee is stuck in China after being slapped with an exit ban while visiting family, the latest twist in an increasingly tense climate between Washington and Beijing.

According to the US State Department, the employee — who works for the US Patent and Trademark Office under the Commerce Department — traveled to China in a “personal capacity” but wasn’t allowed to leave. The reason? Still unclear.

What’s known is that the individual was reportedly barred from exiting China over issues tied to his visa application, with allegations that he didn’t disclose his government job. The Washington Post, citing multiple unnamed sources, said the man is a naturalized US citizen who went to visit relatives several months ago and was later detained in Chengdu back in April.

China hasn’t offered much in the way of clarity. When asked, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters on Monday that he had “no details to share” but emphasized that China “upholds the rule of law” when it comes to entry and exit matters.

The US government isn’t taking the situation lightly.

“We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” a State Department spokesperson said, adding that the safety of US citizens abroad remains a top priority.

The incident comes on the heels of a separate case involving Chenyue Mao, a US citizen and Wells Fargo exec based in Atlanta, who was also barred from leaving China. Chinese officials said Mao is tied to an ongoing criminal investigation, but gave no further info.

With input from Al Jazeera