15 September 2026
Executive Summary
New Chinese rules taking effect today have expanded the circumstances in which authorities can prevent individuals from leaving the country on national technology-security grounds.
The revised exit-and-entry rules allow authorities to restrict departure by Chinese citizens considered potential threats to national technology security.
China has long maintained exit restrictions affecting certain officials and individuals involved in legal or national-security matters.
The new provisions explicitly extend the framework into technology security.
The development is particularly relevant to multinational companies employing Chinese:
- Engineers.
- Scientists.
- Technology specialists.
- Research personnel.
- Senior technical managers.
It does not mean technology employees generally are prohibited from travelling.
Nor does it establish that multinational-company staff will routinely be prevented from leaving China.
But it introduces an additional legal and personnel risk where individuals work with technology regarded by Chinese authorities as strategically sensitive.
For multinational businesses, technology risk can therefore increasingly become personnel-mobility risk.
UK Impact
UK businesses operating in China should review the implications for employees involved in:
- Advanced manufacturing.
- Artificial intelligence.
- Semiconductors.
- Telecommunications.
- Aerospace.
- Biotechnology.
- Critical minerals.
- Defence-related technologies.
- Sensitive research.
Companies should not assume that an employee who normally travels internationally will always remain able to do so.
Potential consequences could include disruption to:
- Project management.
- International meetings.
- Research programmes.
- Technical support.
- Staff rotation.
- Emergency evacuation planning.
Global Impact
Technology is increasingly treated by governments as a national-security asset.
Governments already control technology through:
- Export licences.
- Investment screening.
- Sanctions.
- Intellectual-property controls.
- Semiconductor restrictions.
- Data-transfer rules.
Restrictions affecting the movement of people add another dimension.
Knowledge does not move only through physical products or digital files.
It also moves through employees.
Governments concerned about strategic technology leakage may therefore increasingly regulate all three.
Our View
Businesses with technology operations in China should incorporate personnel mobility into country-risk planning.
Companies should ask:
- Which employees work with sensitive technology?
- Could their expertise fall within national-security rules?
- Do employment contracts address travel restrictions?
- Are critical functions dependent upon one individual?
- Can technical knowledge be transferred to another location?
- Are projects documented sufficiently for another employee to continue them?
- Could travel restrictions affect customer support?
- Are emergency evacuation plans realistic?
- Does business travel insurance address exit restrictions?
- Is specialist legal advice available locally?
- Are employees properly briefed before international travel?
- Are data and technology-transfer rules understood?
- Could international secondments create additional exposure?
- Are family implications included in contingency planning?
The broader lesson is that key-person risk can become geopolitical risk.
Where strategically sensitive knowledge resides primarily with a small number of individuals, restrictions affecting those individuals can interrupt an entire project.
Risk Indicator: HIGH – CHINA, TECHNOLOGY & PERSONNEL RISK
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The information contained within these Market Alerts is provided for general market awareness and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, investment, regulatory or insurance advice. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication using multiple reputable and independently verified sources, geopolitical events, legislation, regulation and market conditions may change rapidly. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice before acting upon any information contained herein.
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