China Tightens Controls on 70 Million State Workers' Marriages and Travel
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 16
China Tightens Controls on 70 Million State Workers' Marriages and Travel
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 16
Summary
Nearly 70 million Chinese state-sector employees face tighter scrutiny of marriage, travel, divorce and even socializing as Xi Jinping expands party discipline beyond the workplace.
Foreign marriages are effectively off-limits for many civil servants and others with access to "significant secrets," while overseas trips now often require surrendering passports and seeking approval to borrow them for pre-cleared travel.
The restrictions reflect Beijing's twin priorities: blocking espionage as rivalry with the West deepens and preventing corruption, including officials moving illicit funds abroad through family ties or flight.
Pressure has widened as government jobs grow more attractive in a weak economy: 3.7 million people sat the national civil-service exam last year for just 38,100 openings.
Under Xi, the campaign reaches from rank-and-file staff to top elites, reinforcing a system in which personal life increasingly serves as a test of political loyalty.