China blocks US federal employee from leaving
The federal employee works for the US Patent and Trademark Office, and was visiting China in a personal capacity, according to the state department. 'We are tracking this case very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,' a spokesperson said.
Chinese authorities confirmed that another American, Wells Fargo banker, Chenyue Mao, had also been blocked from leaving. Both individuals have been subjected to an 'exit ban'.
Exit bans are a controversial mechanism used by the Chinese government to bar both Chinese citizens and foreigners from leaving, for reasons ranging from criminal investigations to unsettled civil disputes, but is also used as a leverage tool in diplomatic disputes.
The exact reasons for the federal employee's exit ban are unclear, but the Washington Post had previously reported that the worker, whose identity has not been released, was stopped from leaving the country after he failed to disclose his government employment on the visa application. He reportedly had also served in the US Army.
It has been reported as the first time a US government employee has been affected.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun, said he had 'no details to share' about the case when asked at a regular press briefing on Monday. However, Guo did confirm the exit ban on Mao, saying she was involved in a criminal case and obliged to cooperate with an investigation.
'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,' Guo said.
Wells Fargo has since banned all employees from travelling to China since Mao – a naturalised US citizen of Chinese descent – was stopped from leaving.
A 2023 report by Safeguard Defenders said that since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, 'China has expanded the legal landscape for exit bans and increasingly used them, sometimes outside legal justification'.
Exit bans have been used against activists and journalists – including foreign correspondents – and family members of the people actually of interest to the Chinese government. In 2019 two American siblings were allowed to return home after three years trapped in China. Cynthia and Victor Liu were subject to an exit ban, despite not facing any criminal allegations. Their father, a former bank official and fugitive Liu Changming, was wanted in China to face fraud charges.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
North Korea calls South Korea's peace overtures 'great miscalculation'
SEOUL, July 28 (Reuters) - North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong Un said on Monday, in the first response to peace overtures by the South's liberal President Lee Jae Myung. There had been cautious optimism in the South that the North might respond positively and even show willingness to return to dialogue after Pyongyang also shut off its propaganda loudspeakers, a move that Lee said came sooner than expected. Kim Yo Jong, a senior official of North Korea's ruling party who is believed to speak for its leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to the South Korea-U.S. security alliance showed he was no different from his hostile predecessor. "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by the official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election following the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached their worst level in years. Among gestures to ease tension, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the balloon drops of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. Kim, the North Korean official, called those moves merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities South Korea should never have initiated. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss." Following the KCNA comments on Monday, Lee said it was important to restore trust between the neighbours. South Korea's Unification Ministry, charged with handling ties between the two countries, said Kim Yo Jong's comments "show the wall of distrust between the South and the North is very high as a result of hostile and confrontational policy over the past few years". South Korea will keep up efforts for reconciliation and cooperation with the North, ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam told a briefing. Its new unification minister, Chung Dong-young, said he planned to advise Lee to adjust joint military drills with the United States, Yonhap said. The exercises have been criticised by Pyongyang. Still, Lee, whose government is embroiled in tough negotiations with Washington to avert punishing tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump, has called the U.S. alliance the pillar of South Korea's diplomacy. Seoul would make efforts in all areas to "strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance that was sealed in blood", Lee said on the anniversary of the Korean War armistice on Sunday. North Korea held a parade in its capital of Pyongyang to mark the event it calls victory day, though state media reports indicated it was on a smaller scale than in some previous years. Columns of marching soldiers held portraits of commanders, including state founder Kim Il Sung, with spectators and frail veterans in historic army uniforms in attendance in state media pictures, which did not show major weapons in the parade. A formation of military jets flew over the Pyongyang Gymnasium square trailing streaks of flares and fireworks. State media made no mention of leader Kim Jong Un's attendance. The two Koreas, the United States and China, which were the main belligerents in the 1950-53 Korean War, have not signed a peace treaty.
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Audi cuts forecast over US tariffs and restructuring costs
July 28 (Reuters) - German automaker Volkswagen's premium brand Audi lowered its full-year financial guidance on Monday, citing the impact of higher U.S. import tariffs and ongoing restructuring costs. The Ingolstadt-based company now expects revenue of between 65 billion euros and 70 billion euros ($76 billion and $82 billion), down from its previous forecast of 67.5 billion euros to 72.5 billion euros. Audi also cut its operating margin forecast to 5% to 7%, compared to the earlier range of 7% to 9%. Audi said it is still assessing the implications of the trade deal reached between the United States and the European Union on Sunday. The agreement set a 15% baseline U.S. tariff on imports from the EU, including cars, which had previously faced customs duties of 27.5%. "Should the 15% tariff stay in place long-term, it would still put Audi at a competitive disadvantage, because its key peers have a more pronounced U.S. production footprint," said Fabio Hoelscher, an analyst from Warburg Research. Audi is among the carmakers most exposed to U.S. tariffs as it has no manufacturing facilities in the United States. Although the deal provides clarity on the new tariff regime, enabling better operational and strategic planning, the 15% rate still represents a structural shift from the 2.5% rate before U.S. President Donald Trump took office, said Pal Skirta, equity analyst from Metzler Equities. That leaves German carmakers facing persistently higher U.S. tariffs on their exports and long-term competitiveness challenges, he said. The Volkswagen Group also cut its full-year guidance on Friday after taking a $1.5-billion tariff hit in the first half of 2025. Global automakers have booked billions of dollars of losses and some issued profit warnings due to U.S. import tariffs. The European industry is also facing stiffening competition from China, and domestic regulations aimed at speeding up the electric-vehicle transition. ($1 = 0.8535 euros)
Telegraph
15 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Head of Shaolin ‘kung fu' temple accused of embezzlement and affairs
The head monk of a Chinese temple is under investigation for embezzlement, 'improper relationships with multiple women' and 'fathering illegitimate children'. The 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple said Abbot Shi Yongxin, dubbed the 'CEO monk' for transforming the institution into a global brand, was suspected of 'embezzling project funds and temple assets'. The monastery, known as the birthplace of kung fu, said Mr Shi, 59, had 'seriously violated Buddhist precepts', including by allegedly engaging in 'improper relationships' with multiple women. On Monday, China's Buddhist Association said it had stripped Mr Shi of his ordination certification, which is proof of someone's acceptance into the monastic community. 'Shi Tongxin's actions are extremely bad, seriously damaging the reputation of the Buddhist community and the image of monks,' the association said in a statement. The birthplace of kung fu China's government exercises authority over the appointment of religious leaders, and 'improper' conduct is often grounds for removal from office. The Shaolin Temple, located in the central Chinese province of Henan, is renowned for its kung fu culture, which has been referenced in a number of films and TV shows, including the 1982 film The Shaolin Temple, starring martial arts superstar Jet Li. At the Shaolin Temple, disciples train in martial arts alongside their Buddhism studies. The martial artists from the Shaolin Temple are known for their acrobatic performances, as well as an unnerving penchant for smashing stones, spears and other assorted objects apart on their heads and bodies. A hashtag related to the temple scandal had been viewed more than 560 million times on Weibo as of Monday morning, making it the most talked about story on the Chinese social media platform. The last post to Mr Shi's personal account on Weibo declared 'when one's own nature is pure, the pure land is here in the present'. 'Vicious libel' Mr Shi took office as abbot in 1999. Under his leadership, the temple started opening schools outside China and organised Shaolin kung fu shows. He faced similar allegations in 2015, including allegedly having sexual relations with women and embezzling temple funds. At the time, the temple described the claims as 'vicious libel'. At the time, he told the BBC: 'If there were a problem, it would have surfaced long ago.' The Shaolin Temple itself came under scrutiny in 2015 over plans to build a $300m (£224m) temple complex, which would have included a hotel, a kung fu school and a golf course.
