Chinese intelligence officers began tracking an employee of the U.S. Commerce Department this spring while he was in southwest China, where he has family members. The officers interrogated him about his prior service in the U.S. military, according to a U.S. government document.
The American citizen has been prevented from leaving China since mid-April, as stated in a State Department cable obtained by The New York Times. The cable, dated May 2, was sent from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to officials in Washington, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and aides on the National Security Council.
On April 14, Chinese officers seized the man’s passport, credit card, cellphone, and iPad while he was in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Although the officers returned his passport on April 22, they informed him that he could not leave the country. His wife remains in the United States.
The cable reveals the operations of the Ministry of State Security, which has increased pressure on the American during his stay in China. It also details efforts by U.S. diplomats to facilitate his travel from Chengdu to Beijing in early May while Chinese officers continued to surveil him.
The situation became public over the weekend after American news organizations reported on it. The cable does not identify the man or provide details about his background but offers new insights into his circumstances.
China's restrictions on the American citizen occur during a sensitive period, as President Trump navigates a trade war with China while also seeking to maintain a positive relationship with its leader, Xi Jinping. Rubio indicated that a meeting between Trump and Xi is likely this year.
The Commerce Department employee is among potentially dozens of American citizens facing exit bans in China, a practice that has been used for years. These bans often target ethnic Chinese, many of whom are former citizens of China and may have been involved in business disputes.
In recent years, Chinese intelligence and security officials have been granted increased authority to scrutinize and detain foreign citizens and their Chinese associates in searches for perceived subversive elements. Another U.S. citizen, Mao Chenyue, a banker at Wells Fargo, has also been barred from leaving China.
The State Department has cited the exit ban practice in its Level 2 travel advisory for China, urging visitors to “exercise increased caution.” In November, the advisory was lowered from Level 3, which recommended reconsidering travel.
The Commerce employee reported to U.S. diplomats that the questioning by Chinese officers focused heavily on his U.S. military background rather than his work for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He shared details about an entry-level job at a nuclear institute in China, his graduate studies in engineering in Puerto Rico, and his experience maintaining Black Hawk helicopters in the U.S. Army.
The case escalated to the point where a senior U.S. diplomat and a diplomatic security officer traveled to Chengdu to meet with him. The diplomat noted “heavy surveillance” during their meeting on May 1, and although a meeting with the Ministry of State Security was scheduled for that day, it was postponed.
The following day, the embassy officials and the Commerce employee took an Air China flight to Beijing, under constant surveillance by Chinese officers. A man without luggage sat in front of them on the flight, appearing to monitor their movements.
Upon arrival in Beijing, the U.S. diplomat observed individuals taking photographs of her and the Commerce employee while they were at a restaurant near the U.S. Embassy.
The employee has expressed growing concern about his situation and the safety of his Chinese relatives in Chengdu. The White House National Security Council referred requests for comment to the State Department, which did not provide details about the case but emphasized that the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is a top priority.
When asked about the case, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman stated that he had no information to provide and emphasized that China operates under the rule of law regarding entry and exit affairs.