China's passport curbs reinstating controls not seen since Mao Zedong's era: Experts

Beijing [China], October 19, : The Chinese government has limited international travel by requiring certain teachers, civil servants, and executives from state-owned companies to surrender their passports.
According to analysts, Beijing under Chinese President Xi Jinping, is reintroducing internal controls reminiscent of the period during Mao Zedong's leadership in China, Voice of America (VOA) News reported.
Hong Jingfu, a professor in the Political Science Department at Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University, stated that the Chinese Communist Party's confiscation of passports aims to prevent infiltration and the leaking of secrets.
Hong mentioned that the CCP is concerned that the declining confidence in the economy may make people less loyal to Xi's regime and the Chinese system, potentially resulting in a loss of personnel and capital leaving the country.
In China, the government actively manages public opinion through campaigns and controlled narratives, particularly during crises or sensitive anniversaries, ensuring that the state's version of events dominates, according to VOA.
Hong said that Xi is steering China back toward the path of the Mao era's "internal control and external defence," effectively closing the country to the outside world. The CCP fears sharing the fate of its Soviet counterpart, which collapsed in 1991.
He further said, "Under the so-called overall national security concept, Xi's demand for security is constantly rising, which ironically highlights that China's so-called 'four self-confidences' are just more lies and boasting."
According to the report, former Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2011 introduced the "Three Self-Confidences," which emphasized China's socialist path, theories, and system.
In 2016, Xi Jinping added a fourth confidence focused on socialist culture, aiming to strengthen his authority and enhance communist and nationalist propaganda in education. This isn't the first instance in modern China where authorities have confiscated the passports of significant groups of workers.
According to Radio Free Asia, authorities instructed teachers to submit their travel documents in 2018.
A university professor in Fujian Province told VOA Mandarin that since 2019, his university has mandated that teachers at the associate professor level and above submit their travel documents.
He mentioned that even retirees must submit their passports and entry and exit documents, and department heads will only receive them back five years after retiring.
He explained that if a professor wishes to travel abroad, they must inform their supervisor about the destination, duration of the trip, purpose, and funding source before they can retrieve their passport.
The professor also noted that the university requires passports to be returned within five working days of returning from overseas. Observers told VOA Mandarin that the practice has escalated significantly since Xi came to power in 2012.
In 2023, the Chinese government further tightened regulations on private international travel for civil servants and employees of state-owned enterprises, implementing bans on overseas trips, scrutinizing foreign connections, and enhancing approval processes and confidentiality training.
According to the report, China's economic slowdown has resulted in decreased consumer confidence and spending among the middle class, prompting Beijing to attempt to revive the situation through various stimulus measures.
Hong stated that the CCP's passport restrictions are hindering economic activities and discouraging international exchanges that could contribute to economic growth.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese authorities enforced stringent movement restrictions, including limiting international travel and halting the issuance of new passports for nearly three years to curb the virus's spread.
A major protest known as the White Paper Movement erupted, referring to a series of protests in China that emerged in late 2022.
Sparked by discontent over strict COVID-19 restrictions, demonstrators used blank white sheets of paper as a symbol of their dissent against censorship and government control. The movement gained significant attention, highlighting issues like personal freedoms and governmental transparency, Voice of America reported.