New rules introduced by Beijing could see those deemed a risk to industrial or technological security barred from leaving the country, an expansion of exit-and-entry laws that has alarmed both ordinary citizens and foreign businesses.

According to the state-run China Daily, the new rules, which take effect Sept. 15, will “standardize exit-entry management” and “safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.” That includes imposing exit bans on those suspected of “violating export control or technology trade rules in ways that may threaten industrial or technological security.”

“I didn’t feel any panic until my social media was full of posts warning about Sept. 15,” said Beijing resident Miles Zheng. “People are deeply concerned. With everyone talking about the possible effects, it’s difficult not to overthink it.”

Beijing has already reportedly prevented senior AI engineers from travelling abroad amid fears Western companies are poaching top talent.

The latest rule change follows two new regulations introduced in April that further expanded the use of exit bans, according to Safeguard Defenders, a human-rights group based in Spain.

Those regulations were “aimed at punishing foreign companies that try to move their business away from China, including divesting from joint ventures and shifting to suppliers outside China,” Safeguard Defenders said. “They are seen as a reaction to efforts of some countries to decouple from China and as a countermeasure to the rising risk of sanctions and other economic weapons.”

Over the past decade, Beijing has ramped up the use of exit bans, preventing people from leaving the country when they are involved in legal cases or suspected of breaching national security. Often, those subject to such orders do not realize they have been blacklisted until they attempt to travel outside China.

While China does not publicize exit bans, an analysis by Safeguard Defenders found there has been a tenfold increase in the use of such travel restrictions in the past five years, with some 136,000 court verdicts imposing such bans last year.

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In an editorial last week, the state-run Global Times criticized foreign media for focusing on “phrases such as persuading people not to leave the country and restricting departure, claiming that China is tightening its exit and entry policies and causing ‘alarm,’ while hypocritically expressing concerns that China is moving toward ‘self-isolation.’”

The new rules, the paper said, are merely a streamlining and refining of existing regulations, such as improving the issuance of travel advisories for countries where citizens may be at risk of kidnapping, theft or fraud.

But it is precisely the interlinking of national security and trade issues with regular travel warnings that has raised the most alarm in China, particularly as the new rules come on the heels of a campaign by the government and state media to dissuade citizens from travelling to Japan amid a diplomatic spat with Tokyo.

Multiple unconfirmed reports suggest recent travellers arriving from Japan have faced questioning by border guards upon their return to China.

Some of the fear is a legacy of China’s tough pandemic response, when it was difficult to enter or leave the country. As restrictions eased, there was a spike in Chinese emigration, particularly to Japan, Thailand and the United States, though the return to power of President Donald Trump has reversed that trend in that country.

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Xin Rui, another Beijinger, said many of her colleagues were discussing “whether they should apply for new passports before” the regulations come into force. “Now it seems that getting travel documents could be hard for untold reasons.”

Maya Wang, who works at an immigration agency in the capital, said her firm has seen a spike in enquiries about New Zealand since an expansion of that country’s “golden visa” to attract wealthy investors, which has also proven popular with Americans.

“I often tell people that the time they reach out is the best moment to take action, as more Chinese begin to follow their lead, immigration policies abroad are likely to change,” she said. “The earlier the better.”

With files from Alexandra Li in Beijing