China started new travel rules on Tuesday. The government can stop some Chinese citizens from leaving the country for up to three years. This can happen if they do things that the government says may harm China’s safety. It can also happen if they break rules about sending technology into or out of China.

The Chinese government says the rules will keep the country safe. It says ordinary people can still travel. But some experts worry that the government may use the rules to control what Chinese people say and do in other countries. Some workers already must give their passports to their employers. They also need permission before they travel.

Many more people now face travel bans in China. Court records showed 89 cases in 2016 and 188,760 cases last year. People often do not know about a ban until they ask for a passport or try to leave China. One 26-year-old man said officials refused his passport after he joined protests in Hong Kong in 2019. Experts think China may stop more people from travelling under the new rules.