July 21, 2025, 3:14 p.m. ET – A U.S. Commerce Department employee, an American citizen, has found himself caught in the crosshairs of Chinese intelligence, having been interrogated about his military service while barred from leaving the country. This situation is a stark reminder of China's exit ban tactics, a method often used to leverage pressure on foreign nationals.
According to a leaked State Department cable acquired by The New York Times, the incident began this spring when the man, who remains unnamed, traveled to southwest China to visit family. Chinese intelligence officers targeted him while he was in Chengdu, questioning him about his past military service. On April 14, agents from the Ministry of State Security seized his passport, credit card, cellphone, and iPad, a move they soon followed by returning the passport on April 22, only to inform him he could not exit the country.
Chinese authorities have increased surveillance on the employee, even as U.S. diplomats scrambled to facilitate his return home. The cable described ongoing efforts to escort him from Chengdu to Beijing amidst the heightened scrutiny he faced. Both the White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been briefed on the situation.
The case only attracted attention over the weekend after various news outlets began covering the man's ordeal in China. The cable does not disclose his identity or specific background details, but the incident sheds light on the increasing risks faced by Americans traveling to China and the lengths to which the Chinese government will go in surveillance and interrogation practices.
According to a leaked State Department cable acquired by The New York Times, the incident began this spring when the man, who remains unnamed, traveled to southwest China to visit family. Chinese intelligence officers targeted him while he was in Chengdu, questioning him about his past military service. On April 14, agents from the Ministry of State Security seized his passport, credit card, cellphone, and iPad, a move they soon followed by returning the passport on April 22, only to inform him he could not exit the country.
Chinese authorities have increased surveillance on the employee, even as U.S. diplomats scrambled to facilitate his return home. The cable described ongoing efforts to escort him from Chengdu to Beijing amidst the heightened scrutiny he faced. Both the White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been briefed on the situation.
The case only attracted attention over the weekend after various news outlets began covering the man's ordeal in China. The cable does not disclose his identity or specific background details, but the incident sheds light on the increasing risks faced by Americans traveling to China and the lengths to which the Chinese government will go in surveillance and interrogation practices.
