Chinese citizens required to abide by local laws

MANILA — The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Sunday said China’s government is cracking down on “cross-border telecommunication fraud crimes” but did not directly answer whether the passports of Chinese nationals working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators have been canceled.

Citing an unnamed source, rich people news website Bilyonaryo reported Friday that thousands of Chinese POGO workers “got the shock of their lives when their passports were cancelled by the mainland government.”

In transcribed remarks released on Sunday, the Chinese Embassy said that “the Ministry of Public Security of China has obtained a list of Chinese nationals suspected of committing long-term telecommunication fraud crimes abroad, who are classified as the persons prohibited from exiting China according to the Exit-Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China.”

According to China’s Exit-Entry Administration Law, “Chinese citizens who exit or enter China shall, in accordance with the law, apply for passports or other travel documents.”

Under any of the following circumstances, Chinese citizens are not allowed to exit China:

(1) Hold no valid exit/entry documents, or refuse or evade border inspection;

(2) Are sentenced to criminal punishments, the execution of which have not been completed, or are suspects or defendants in criminal cases;

(3) Are involved in unsettled civil cases and not allowed to exit China upon decision of the people’s courts;

(4) Are subject to criminal punishment for impairing border administration, or are repatriated by other countries or regions due to illegal exit from China, illegal residence or illegal employment, and the No-Exit-fromChina period has not expired; — Philstar.com