Beijing blocked a U.S. federal employee from leaving China after they traveled to the country in a personal capacity, the State Department confirmed Tuesday.
The employee, who works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), was “made subject to an exit ban in China,” a State Department spokesperson said.
“We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson added, noting that the State Department “has no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens.”
The USPTO, housed in the Commerce Department, did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the specifics of the case when asked about reports of the “exit ban” during a press conference on Tuesday.
“I have no details to share. China upholds the rule of law and handles entry and exit affairs in accordance with the law,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
The Washington Post earlier reported that the U.S. government employee traveled to China several months ago to visit family and “now has been caught up in China’s controversial practice of blocking Chinese and foreign nationals from leaving China.”
The individual was prevented from leaving China after failing to disclose on his visa application that he worked for the U.S. government, the Post reported, citing four people familiar with the matter.