A Wells Fargo banker has been blocked from leaving China due to a criminal matter, the country’s foreign ministry has confirmed.
Chenyue Mao “is involved in a criminal case currently being handled by Chinese law-enforcement authorities and is subject to exit restrictions in accordance with the law”, ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
It is not known when the ban was imposed, or the exact nature of the case.
In the wake of the ban, the bank – which has had one branch in Shanghai since 2005 and another in Beijing since 2015 – decided to suspend all travel to China, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.
Wells Fargo said on Friday it was “working through the appropriate channels” to secure Ms Mao’s return, but did not release any details as to why the US citizen had been prevented from leaving the country.
Ms Mao – a managing director at the bank – has been with Wells Fargo for more than 13 years, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The US embassy in Shanghai told BBC News that the safety and security of US citizens overseas was its “highest priority”.
“We track these cases closely, and have raised our concern with Chinese authorities about the impact these arbitrary exit bans have on our bilateral relations and urged them to immediately allow impacted US citizens to return home,” the embassy said.
“The Chinese government has, for many years, imposed exit bans on US citizens and other foreign nationals in China, often without a clear and transparent judicial process for resolution.”
However, Mr Guo told reporters that “everyone in China, whether they are Chinese or foreigners, must abide by Chinese laws”, adding that Ms Mao “has the obligation to cooperate with the investigation”.
The exit ban comes at a time of diplomatic tension between China and the US, particularly within the business space, as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to put strain on the two countries’ business ties.
Beijing recently pledged to allow more participation in a range of its business sectors, in a stated bid to attract more foreign investment amid worsening geopolitical tensions.
“China will, as always, welcome people from all countries to visit China for tourism and business,” Mr Guo said at Monday’s press briefing.
By BBC News
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