Beijing’s Exit Ban Traps U.S. Commerce Official in Major Diplomatic Clash
Chinese American veteran snared in visa dispute, escalating U.S.-China tensions
A Chinese American U.S. Commerce Department employee, a former Army veteran, is stuck in China under an exit ban after failing to disclose his Patent and Trademark Office role on his visa application. He arrived in Chengdu in April to visit family, but Beijing’s vague laws have blocked his departure, a move Washington calls “hostage diplomacy.”
Four anonymous sources confirmed the case’s sensitivity to The Washington Post. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) condemned it: “I am gravely concerned by what appears to be another case of CCP hostage diplomacy. This is a tactic, not a coincidence — and it’s unacceptable.”
Days earlier, Wells Fargo’s Chenyue Mao faced a similar ban, halting the bank’s China travel. John Kamm of Dui Hua Foundation estimates 30-50 Americans are under such bans, often for minor issues, with China ignoring dual citizenship to target Chinese Americans.
U.S. diplomats have raised the case at high levels. “No administration wants an American rolled up in China,” a source said. The State Department, prioritizing citizen safety, presses Beijing to end these “arbitrary” bans, though victims rarely qualify as “wrongfully detained” without formal arrest.
Despite Trump’s claim of a “friendly” rapport with Xi Jinping, ongoing tariff wars—recently escalated with 25% U.S. levies on Chinese goods—strain relations, casting doubt on diplomatic warmth. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sees potential for a Trump-Xi summit, which could ease tensions.
Beijing’s Liu Pengyu deflected, saying foreigners must “abide by Chinese laws.” A stark case: a 7-year-old American boy and his mother, banned since August 2024, tied to artist Gao Zhen’s detention for works deemed defamatory to Chinese leaders. This followed a police raid on Gao’s Beijing studio, with charges of “defaming heroes and martyrs” for his satirical art.
Public chatter links the Commerce case to past Chinese hacks on the department for trade intel. The State Department urges “increased caution” for Americans in China, especially those with heritage ties, amid fears of exploitation in the trade war.
This story originally appeared on The Washington Post. Other sources: Reuters, New York Times, South China Morning Post.