China is tightening its grip on personal freedom by sharply restricting the overseas travel of public employees. While the Chinese government continues to market itself as open to tourism and global business, it is quietly building walls around its own people—especially civil servants, teachers, and healthcare workers. Under the pretext of national security and party loyalty, Chinese authorities are forcing government workers to surrender their passports and get multiple levels of approval to leave the country, even for personal trips. Critics say this is just the latest example of how the Communist regime treats its citizens not as individuals, but as tools to control and monitor.
Everyday Workers Now Caught in a Surveillance Net
In the past, only senior officials or people handling state secrets were subject to tight travel controls. That changed under President Xi Jinping, who has pushed to expand the reach of the Chinese Communist Party into nearly every aspect of life. Now, the same kinds of restrictions once reserved for generals and diplomats are being placed on elementary school teachers, nurses, and village administrators.
“When Tina Liu was hired to teach literature in a public elementary school in southern China, her contract included the usual warnings about absenteeism and job performance,” The New York Times reported. “Then came another line: Traveling abroad without the school’s permission could get her fired.”
The message was repeated in her school’s group chat: “According to regulations from higher-ups, teachers need to strengthen their disciplinary awareness. We will currently not permit any overseas vacations.”
Across China, public employees are receiving similar notices. In some cities, retirees have been told they must wait two years before they can even ask for their passports back. Those still working must obtain multiple layers of approval for any overseas travel. Business trips for academic exchanges or training are now banned. And anyone who studied abroad may be automatically disqualified from top government jobs.
Beijing’s Excuse: Security, Loyalty, and Frugality
Officials say the rules are necessary to “protect national security, fight corruption, and cut costs.” But the rules are sweeping up people with no access to money or information. An elementary school music teacher, a hospital nurse, and a university literature professor all confirmed to The Times that they were subjected to restrictions despite having no reason to be considered security risks.
“If there are any secrets, would people like us know about them?” said a nurse from Zhejiang Province, who asked to be identified only by her surname, Zhu. “What money do we have to abscond with?”
Zhu said she had long dreamed of visiting Vietnam but never applied because the process now requires approval from four different administrative levels. She said the rules make her feel trapped and distrusted, despite years of loyal service.
Another teacher, identified only as Ms. Wang, said she applied to visit her sister in Malaysia this summer but was flatly denied. “I just wanted to see my family. But the school said no, without any explanation.”
The Rules Get Stricter the Lower You Go
These restrictions are not just being imposed on big cities or sensitive positions. In six small fishing villages near Zhoushan, village officials were ordered to hand over their passports. In Jiangxi Province, a public health agency told its employees to report any overseas trips they had taken since 2018. In Shanghai, even having a spouse or a close relative living abroad can disqualify someone from joining the police force.
At Inner Mongolia University of Technology, employees traveling abroad were warned not to “accept any media interviews or meet with any outside parties without authorization.” The university also ordered staff to report any “encounters with anti-China forces” to the nearest Chinese embassy. Workers who fail to return their passports within a week of coming back to China could be banned from international travel for five years.
Even within China, restrictions have increased. One person interviewed by The Times said she now has to notify her employer if she leaves her city of residence. Others were told to register their personal social media accounts. Some local governments have even banned government employees from dining out in groups larger than three, following reports of excessive drinking at official events.
The Irony of a “Welcoming” China
While China promotes itself to the world as a modern, open country, these restrictions tell a different story. Ms. Liu, the literature teacher, summed it up: “On the one hand, you want foreigners to come to China. You advertise Chinese culture and hope they’ll boost the economy. But on the other hand, why are you trapping us here, rather than letting us see more of the world?”
Political analyst Wu Qiang noted that the Chinese government still wants to appear open, but these restrictions are being enforced quietly. Some local governments post passport rules online, but most of the employees interviewed said they were told only through private messages or meetings.
The goal seems clear: keep people from talking to the outside world, even if they have done nothing wrong.
Hiring Rules Now Punish Global Experience
China’s government job system is also turning its back on candidates with foreign ties. One of the top programs for civil service jobs, known as xuandiaosheng, is cutting off applicants who studied overseas. This year, several provinces including Guangdong and Liaoning stopped accepting foreign university graduates for these elite roles. Liaoning took it even further, declaring that anyone who had lived overseas for more than six months, and whose “political performance” during that time could not be verified, was now ineligible.
Dongshu Liu, a professor at City University of Hong Kong, explained that these new rules may not be coming from Beijing directly but are likely the result of midlevel officials trying to protect themselves from scrutiny. “Because of U.S.-China relations, because of the competition, I think it’s fair to say that Chinese society in general has become more sensitive to foreign countries,” he said. “Everything related to foreign countries is risky.”
A Broader Pattern of Repression
This travel crackdown is not happening in isolation. The government has long enforced similar rules against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. Although some Uyghurs have recently been allowed short visits abroad, the process remains heavily controlled. Passports are taken, travel approvals are limited to certain countries, and travelers are watched closely while overseas. Activism, criticism, or simply visiting the wrong person can result in interrogation or punishment.
Human Rights Watch summed it up in a 2025 report: “The Chinese government continues to deny Uyghurs their right to leave the country, restrict their speech and associations when abroad, and punish them for having foreign ties.”
The chairwoman of Gree Electric, Dong Mingzhu, made headlines when she said she would avoid hiring people who had lived overseas because they might be spies. Social media users slammed the comments as discriminatory and harmful to China’s future. Even People’s Daily published an article defending the value of overseas experience. But the damage was done. The fear of foreigners—and even of Chinese citizens who have seen the outside world—is now woven into state policy.
No One Dares Resist
Despite growing frustration, few government employees are willing to challenge the system. The fear of retaliation, combined with the promise of steady income, keeps people quiet.
Zhu, the nurse in Zhejiang, said she makes about $27,000 a year—far more than the average worker in her city. But she knows she is giving up something more important than money. She is giving up her freedom.
“If everyone dies, it’s OK, you know?” she said. “As long as I’m not the only one.”
In the end, that is the chilling effect of life in a totalitarian state. People learn not to dream too big, not to ask too many questions, and not to stray too far. And the walls keep closing in.
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