Overview

• An unnamed U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee has been barred from leaving China for months after authorities alleged he failed to declare his government role on a visa application.
• China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Wells Fargo managing director Chenyue Mao is subject to exit restrictions as part of a criminal investigation in Beijing.
• Washington’s State Department has lodged high‐level protests and affirmed its commitment to securing the safe return of U.S. citizens, while tracking both cases closely.
• In reaction to Mao’s ban, Wells Fargo suspended all executive travel to China and is coordinating with Chinese authorities to resolve the impasse.
• Experts warn that China’s opaque, low‐threshold exit‐ban framework—often imposed by local courts in civil or security cases—serves as a coercive tool affecting dozens of Americans.