A director of Wells Fargo prohibited from leaving China

China announced on Monday that an employee of an American bank was prohibited from leaving the territory, confirming press information, Beijing justifying this measure by its involvement in a “criminal case”. The Wells Fargo bank said last week that it provided aid to Chenyue Mao, a general manager, who has entered China in recent weeks but now unable to leave.

It is “involved in a criminal case in processing by the Chinese authorities,” said a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry of Foreign Ministry. “Given that the case is the subject of an investigation, Ms. Mao Chenyue cannot leave the country at the moment and is obliged to cooperate in investigations,” he added.

He did not give details on the nature of the investigation and the alleged facts. For his part, Wells Fargo has not provided more information on the case. Born in Shanghai and based in Atlanta, Chenyue Mao was forbidden to leave Chinese territory, the Wall Street Journal revealed Thursday.

This incident led the bank, based in San Francisco, to suspend all of its employees’ business trips to China, according to several American media. “Whether a person is Chinese or foreign, in China they must comply with Chinese laws. China will protect its legitimate rights and interests, “said spokesman Guo Jiakun, saying that it was an” individual “case.

“China will continue to welcome, as always, nationals of all countries wishing to travel and do business in China, and protect their rights and interest in accordance with the law,” he said.

Cases of foreign employees prevented from leaving Chinese territory regularly occur. Last week, Chinese justice condemned a Japanese employee of the Japanese pharmaceutical group Astellas to three and a half years in prison for espionage.