China exit-entry rules tighten ahead of Sept 15

China will roll out a comprehensive Regulations on Exit and Entry Administration, effective September 15, 2026, expanding the state’s power to restrict departures for security, economic, or public-order concerns while standardizing travel documentation and border checks. Local authorities are already circulating summaries of the new rules, which formalize exit bans and govern cross-border movement across land, sea, and air ports. Meanwhile, inbound tourism in 2025 surged, with over 150 million visitors and more than $130 billion in spending, aided by visa-free corridors and digital systems that simplify entry and payments. Visa-free entries alone approached 30 million, up about 50 percent from the prior year, reflecting how policy reforms are boosting travel demand and urban tourism hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Hainan. In outbound investment, the NDRC is drafting revised rules to broaden coverage to individuals and organizations, strengthen investor protections, improve adverse-event reporting, and align with central-government policy directions. Public feedback on these outbound measures is invited until September 20.