China tightens travel restrictions on its own citizens amid AI race with US

China has imposed sweeping travel restrictions on its citizens, including exit bans on those deemed to endanger the country's "industrial or technological security".

The new border control rules took effect in China on Tuesday as part of a broader overhaul of border regulations, reflecting in part a heightened government concern about the export of technology at a time of growing competition with the US in artificial intelligence and other emerging areas. 

The opening clause of the regulation says it was drawn up to "safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests", according to China's State Council.

A citizen deemed to be engaging in illegal or criminal activity overseas which endangers national security could be prohibited from leaving China again for six months to three years, from the date of their return.

Similarly, a citizen who violates technology export or import regulations could be banned from leaving if the action endangers industrial or technological security, the regulation says.

Included in the fine print, a provision that could ban foreigners from entering for one to five years if they provide false information in a visa application or at the port of entry.

The regulations also seek to prevent citizens from being deceived into travelling abroad and then forced to participate in illegal gambling or online and phone scam operations, a persistent problem in recent years.

The Cyberspace Administration of China, which monitors online discussions, sought to assuage concerns that the new rules would make travel more difficult. 

The measures target people involved in illegal cross-border activities, not ordinary citizens with legitimate reasons to travel abroad, the agency said in an online post last week.

Experts sound the alarm

Analysts have warned that the travel rules give China a "wide remit".

Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore told AFP security and criminal activities "can be vaguely defined and easily adjusted". 

"The outside world will only know how it applies that remit after there are cases of implementation,"

he said.

Mr Ja pointed to reports of exit bans on foreign nationals, including the recent case of US citizen Min Zin. 

The US government said the political analyst was taken into Chinese custody in Yunnan province on June 3 and was held improperly.

China refuted the accusations in August, saying Min Zin was suspected of violating Chinese law.

"The case of Min Zin is a reminder that the range of people (that China) could restrict from exiting could be quite wide, and potentially arbitrary," Mr Ja said.

Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told AFP the travel restrictions "send a message" that China will take action to prevent "leaks in security or national interest-sensitive areas".

A note released by Trivium, a consultancy firm specialising in Chinese policy trends said the new regulations “are another indication of just how serious China is about preventing the transfer of key tech and technical knowledge,” 

Global tech competition

China and the United States have been locked in a tech race, with both sides accusing the other in recent months of stealing the capabilities of locally developed artificial intelligence models.

Earlier in the year China blocked tech company Meta from acquiring artificial intelligence startup Manus.

The deal aroused government concern from the Chinese government about the transfer of advanced technology, despite Manus being a Singaporean company with Chinese roots.