China Increasingly Traps Foreigners Over Civil Disputes
• China increasingly using "exit bans" to prevent foreign executives from leaving the country, often over civil disputes rather than criminal charges
• Affects a broad range of people, from bankers and lawyers to small business owners; over 150 known cases
• Can leave people stranded for months or years, with unclear guidelines on when bans will be lifted
• Blurs lines between corporate and personal liability; raises uncertainty and risk for foreign businesses
• Causes tension between China's economic aspirations and domestic legal practices