CONSULATE
Consulate Dental Plans – China Travel Advisory
The current travel advisory for China urges travelers to reconsider their plans due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the risk of wrongful detentions. The Chinese government has been known to issue exit bans to U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries without fair and transparent processes under the law. This has resulted in U.S. citizens being detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime. The risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals by the Chinese government is high.
Foreigners in China, such as businesspeople, academics, journalists, and former foreign government personnel, have been interrogated and detained for alleged violations of Chinese national security laws. Chinese authorities have broad discretion in deeming documents, data, statistics, or materials as state secrets and detaining and prosecuting foreign nationals for alleged espionage. Moreover, U.S. citizens living and working in China have been interrogated, imprisoned, and expelled by the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has also used exit bans as a tool of coercion, forcing individuals to participate in government investigations, pressurizing family members to return to China, and resolving civil disputes in favor of Chinese citizens. U.S. citizens may only discover an exit ban when they attempt to leave China, and there is no available legal process to challenge an exit ban in a court of law, leaving them in a vulnerable position.
Dual U.S.-PRC citizens and U.S. citizens of Chinese descent may be subject to additional scrutiny and harassment. Check with the PRC Embassy in the United States for the most updated information on travel to China.
If you decide to travel to China, carry a valid PRC visa with you on your U.S. passport and always keep it with you. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make locating you in an emergency easier. Avoid demonstrations, exercise caution near large gatherings or protests, and keep a low profile. If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or the nearest U.S. Consulate General immediately.
Source: https://travel.state.gov