Wells Fargo Banker Banned From Leaving China After Being Allegedly Implicated in Criminal Case: Report

China’s foreign ministry has reportedly confirmed that a visiting Atlanta-based banker who works for the financial service behemoth Wells Fargo has been prohibited from leaving the country.

CNN reports that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the exit ban placed on Chenyue Mao is due to her involvement in a criminal case.

Mao serves as managing director at Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

“According to Chinese law, the case is under investigation, and Ms. Mao is temporarily unable to leave the country and is obligated to cooperate with the investigation. During the investigation, the authorities will ensure that her legal rights are protected.”

The bank, which operates overseas branches in Shanghai and Beijing, decided to suspend all travel to China following the exit restrictions.

“We are closely tracking this situation and working through the appropriate channels so our employee can return to the United States as soon as possible.”

It is not clear how Mao is linked to the criminal case. Just last month, she was elected the new chair of FCI, a global association of companies formerly known as the Factors Chain International.

In a statement to the BBC, the US embassy in Shanghai says that the Chinese government has long imposed exit bans on US citizens and other foreign nationals, often without a clear and transparent judicial process.

“We track these cases closely, and have raised our concern with Chinese authorities about the impact these arbitrary exit bans have on our bilateral relations and urged them to immediately allow impacted US citizens to return home.”

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