Taiwan's National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu warned on Aug. 29 that anyone planning to travel to China should "really think twice," with China's new exit-entry rules due to take effect on Sept. 15. Wu said the rules' compulsory collection of personal digital data, combined with other arbitrary provisions lacking clear standards and intertwined with a string of recent new laws, amounts to yet another legal tool for transnational repression, CNA reported. Under the tagline "from border control to political control," an infographic he posted with the warning on X, titled "China's 2026 Exit-Entry Administration Revisions," summarised the rules published by China's State Council.
What do the rules change? The graphic sets out seven key elements, beginning with wider collection of identity information and data: the State Council's competent authorities may demand documents and electronic data such as device and account details, CNA reported. What the Chinese government calls illegal acts involving "industrial or technological security" could become grounds for restricting entry and exit. Under an element the graphic labels weaponising "one China," the people involved in investigations of cases the Chinese government deems national-security or major public-interest matters may be barred from leaving. Anyone it considers to have acted illegally abroad could face an exit ban of six months to three years after entering China.
What else does the graphic list? Wu's graphic says authorities need not disclose why they refuse exit or entry in cases the Chinese government deems sensitive. A cross-agency enforcement mechanism links exit-entry administration, public security and other agencies to share information, and people on sanctions or watch lists may be refused entry. The graphic says the rules interlock with China's Counter-Espionage Law, National Security Law and Export Control Law, 22 provisions related to the Anti-Secession Law, the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, and rules on internet information services and police cyberspace inspection, which could intensify the threats.
What risks does it list for travellers? The graphic also sums up three risks of entering China, CNA reported. A person's conduct or speech could be redefined as a national-security matter, leading to a ban on leaving, while people in technology, business or research exchanges could be treated as strategic assets and placed under exit controls. During periods of cross-strait or geopolitical tension, administrative enforcement could also be used as a tool of political pressure.
