China’s Shocking Exit Bans Trap Americans

An American government employee and a Wells Fargo executive are currently being kept from leaving China under opaque “exit bans”—and the story only gets more outrageous the deeper you dig.

At a Glance

• China is holding U.S. citizens, including a Commerce Department employee and a senior Wells Fargo banker, under indefinite exit bans with little transparency or due process.
• Major U.S. corporations are suspending or severely restricting business travel to China, warning employees about the risk of arbitrary detainment.
• The U.S. government is scrambling to secure the release of its citizens as diplomatic tensions with China reach new heights.
• China’s practice of leveraging exit bans is fueling widespread alarm in the business world and among foreign governments about the risks of even setting foot in the country.

China’s Hostage Diplomacy: U.S. Citizens Trapped by Secret Exit Bans

China’s Communist regime is back at it, flexing its “rule by decree” muscle and holding Americans hostage—not with handcuffs, but with the insidious power of the exit ban. Forget the tired old excuses of “national security” and “legal investigations.” The Chinese government is detaining foreign businesspeople, government employees, and even regular travelers, trapping them inside the country with no warning, no explanation, and no end in sight. This is not a scene from some Cold War spy thriller—this is happening to Americans right now, in 2025, and the details are enough to make any sane person think twice about ever doing business with Beijing again.

The latest victims? A U.S. Department of Commerce employee—an official with the Patent and Trademark Office—and a senior Wells Fargo banker. Both are being kept in China under “exit bans” that Chinese authorities barely bother to explain. The Commerce employee has been stuck since April, after officials in Chengdu seized his passport, credit card, and electronics. They gave the items back, but the ban remains. The banker’s fate is just as grim, with Wells Fargo now suspending all business travel to China out of fear for its people’s safety. Other firms, like BlackRock, are telling employees to use “loaner devices” and avoid China altogether if possible. These are not minor inconveniences—these are major, life-altering disruptions that no American should ever have to face at the hands of a so-called “trade partner.”

Opaque Rules, Zero Due Process: How China Targets Foreigners and Corporations

The Communist Party’s playbook is simple: use vague, ever-changing “national security” statutes as a catch-all excuse to detain or restrict anyone they please. No one is immune—not even seasoned business executives or government employees who follow the rules to a T. The Commerce worker’s supposed crime? Failing to disclose his government employment on a visa form. That’s the only justification Chinese authorities have offered for holding an American citizen hostage for months. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issues boilerplate statements about “upholding the rule of law,” but refuses to provide any real explanation or timeline for release.

Foreign governments, especially the United States, are left with their hands tied. Diplomats can protest and warn travelers, but they have little leverage over a regime that values power over principle. The U.S. State Department has sounded the alarm, reiterating travel warnings about China’s arbitrary enforcement and lack of due process. Yet the Communist Party doubles down, using these exit bans not just as legal tools but as political leverage—essentially holding Americans as bargaining chips in its escalating standoff with the West.

Corporate Fallout: Wells Fargo, BlackRock, and a Chilling Effect on Global Business

This isn’t just a problem for a handful of unlucky travelers or bureaucrats. The entire global business community is reeling. Major corporations are scrambling to protect their employees and assets, with some suspending all travel to China and others implementing emergency protocols. Wells Fargo’s response was swift—no more business trips to China, period. BlackRock and other giants have gone so far as to issue burner phones and laptops for essential travel, warning staff not to bring any personal or sensitive information into the country. These aren’t minor tweaks to the employee handbook—these are drastic, expensive, and disruptive measures that underscore just how dangerous China has become for foreign professionals.

The ripple effects are everywhere. Pharmaceutical executives from Japan have faced similar detainment, and it’s not just financial services or government employees at risk. Any foreigner, from any sector, could be targeted next. Industry experts warn that “everything is viewed as a national security matter” in China today, making even routine business activity a potential minefield. The result? A growing consensus that China is no longer a safe or reliable destination for international business—or for anyone who values their freedom.

America Responds: Warnings, Diplomatic Pressure, and the Urgent Need for Accountability

The U.S. government is actively working to secure the release of its citizens, with top officials in constant contact with their Chinese counterparts. But let’s not kid ourselves—diplomatic niceties mean little to a regime that’s made a habit of using innocent Americans as pawns. The State Department’s travel warnings have never been more blunt, and corporations are finally waking up to the true nature of doing business with a government that plays by no rules but its own. Legal experts and business leaders alike are sounding the alarm: the arbitrary, secretive exit bans are destroying trust, chilling investment, and putting American lives at risk.

The big picture is impossible to ignore. China’s willingness to detain Americans on the flimsiest of pretexts is a stark reminder that when you deal with dictatorships, you play by their rules, not by any notion of fairness or transparency. Given the stakes for U.S. citizens, businesses, and national security, it’s time for America—and the rest of the world—to demand answers, accountability, and above all, the safe return of every American currently held hostage by Beijing’s Orwellian tactics.

Sources:

CBS News: China exit ban American US Chamber Commerce employee Wells Fargo banker

Morning Brew: China exit bans rattle foreign businesses

Economic Times: Foreign nationals trapped Xi Jinping’s exit bans raise alarm over travel risks in China