The administrative director of one of the most influential banks in the United States, Wells Fargo, was prohibited from leaving China after the opening of a criminal investigation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Asian giant said on Monday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said police authorities have imposed restrictions on Chenyue Mao’s departure from the country, as she would need to “cooperate” in a local investigation without giving details of the case in question.
“Everyone in China, whether Chinese or foreigners, must obey Chinese laws,” said Guo. It was not clear so far if Mao has gone up his Chinese citizenship by moving to the United States.
With the event, Wells Fargo informed the The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) which suspended all trips to China temporarily and was “working for the appropriate channels” to help Mao return to US territory.
The veto on the US executive trip has lasted weeks. Days ago, a US embassy spokesman has stated that China has already vetoed the departure of US citizens and other nationalities on other occasions without explaining or a transparent judgment. “We monitor cases of output prohibition brought to us to attention and provide proper consular assistance,” said the spokesman.
The retention of the American citizen occurs at a turbulent moment in relations between China and the United States, especially in the commercial area.
According to his profile at LinkedIn, Chenyue Mao has been working in the American bank for 12 years and was recently elected president of FCI, an organization that facilitates international trade through a process called factoringin which companies sell credits to third parties, such as banks, in exchange for a commission.
