US State Department says the employee was slapped with an exit ban while visiting the country in a ‘personal capacity’.
Published On 22 Jul 2025
A United States government employee has been prevented from leaving China after visiting the country for personal reasons, Washington has said.
The employee of the US Patent and Trademark Office, an agency within the US Department of Commerce, was subject to an “exit ban” while travelling in China in a “personal capacity”, the US Department of State said on Monday.
“The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
The statement comes after The Washington Post on Sunday reported that a Chinese-American man employed by the US Commerce Department was barred from leaving China after failing to disclose his work for the government on a visa application.
The report, which cited four unnamed people familiar with the matter, said the employee had travelled to China several months ago to visit family.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Sunday reported that the man, a natur