(TibetanReview.net, Mar23’26) – China has launched sweeping restrictions on foreign travels of serving and retired regime officials, reflecting fears in the CCP about asset flight or disclosure of politically sensitive information at a time of intensifying internal pressure and anti-corruption scrutiny, reported theepochtimes.com Mar 19, citing multiple internal sources.
Since January, a number of retired officials—many mid- to senior-level—have left China and cut off contact with the regime. Many had family members already settled in countries such as the United States, Australia, or across Europe, the report said.
These departures were seen as planned. “They sold off property before leaving, withdrew most of their savings, and in some cases even gave up their pensions.”
The individuals were not necessarily under active investigation, but may have been motivated by fear after witnessing colleagues fall in ongoing political purges. For some, leaving China was seen as a way to secure financial assets and personal safety.
The situation was stated to have escalated following the high-profile defection of Ma Ruilin, a former senior official in the CCP’s United Front Work Department—an entity that engages in overseas infiltration and espionage—who fled to the United States with his family and later gave an interview to the CNN on Feb 26.
In that interview, Ma confirmed the existence of detention facilities in the Xinjiang region and revealed that many officials privately resent Chinese leader Xi Jinping despite outward displays of loyalty.
“The regime fears that others with knowledge of sensitive issues could follow suit and speak out overseas,” the report quoted a source in China as saying, requesting anonymity to be able to speak.
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CCP has now sharply tightened approval processes for overseas travels, particularly for officials and retirees from sensitive departments such as the United Front Work Department, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of State Security.
The report cited a China-based insider as saying agencies and state-affiliated institutions of the party-state had issued internal notices requiring stricter scrutiny of passport applications and renewals. Border authorities have also reportedly increased checks, with officials being now subject to detailed reviews of their personal and family situations, including overseas ties, property holdings, and financial assets.
“If assets or income appear inconsistent, exit permissions can be denied,” it has been learnt.
Personal repercussions for wrong approvals are stated to be severe, leading to a bureaucratic paralysis. It has led many in the personnel departments to delay, block, or outrightly reject applications, effectively freezing legal overseas travel for large numbers of officials.
Meanwhile, pressure from an intensified anti-corruption campaign, potentially involving retrospective investigations dating back 20 years, is stated to be driving a surge in asset liquidation among officials and move funds abroad to hedge against political risk.
“People worry constantly about when old cases might be reopened. Some even suspect they’re under investigation just because they weren’t promoted,” the report quoted a retired official as saying.
The reported disappearances, tighter exit controls, and increased scrutiny of officials’ assets are stated to point to a broader shift in how the CCP is managing political risk within the system.