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China has imposed tighter restrictions on foreign travel for public employees, extending controls well beyond sensitive government positions. Rules now prohibit teachers, doctors, and workers at state-owned enterprises from traveling abroad without permission—with some required to surrender their passports entirely. Even retirees in some cities must wait years to get their travel documents back, the New York Times reports.
Government officials say the measures are meant to protect national security, curb corruption, and save money. Yet the scope has widened rapidly, affecting employees who say their work is far removed from sensitive state matters.
Approvals are mandatory for overseas trips, regardless of whether they're for work or leisure, and business travel for routine research or academic exchange is mostly off the table. The policies reflect Beijing's push for stricter "political discipline" and ideological control, especially regarding foreign contact.
A nurse at a hospital in Zhejiang who wants to visit Vietnam told the Times she would need four layers of approvals. The rules, she said, seemed to reflect a fear that rank-and-file workers might flee with sensitive information or illicit funds. "If there are any secrets, would people like us know about them?" she said. "What money do we have to abscond with?"
