China is taking steps to insulate the mainland from the dramatic protests that have gripped Hong Kong. On top of tightly controlling local media coverage of the demonstrations, authorities this month started keeping closer tabs on citizens who travel there.
Cities across the country barred travel agents and couriers from helping individuals apply for the permits that Chinese citizens need to travel to Hong Kong. People must appear in person so that their identities can be verified.
At least seven cities or counties, including Beijing and Shanghai, said in online notices or through their customs offices that the changes were implemented from as early as Aug. 1.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The protests in Hong Kong pushing for Beijing to loosen its grip on the territory are problematic for the central government because they could inspire similar unrest in China.
Chinese officials and domestic media have framed the uprising as driven by violent extremists, highlighting instances where protesters have allegedly attacked the police or civilians.
An officer at a Shanghai branch of China’s Exit-Entry Administration said that the requirement for in-person applications started on Aug. 2 because of the situation in Hong Kong.
The office is preparing to install facial recognition software in about two weeks, another officer said.
Staff checked identity cards before allowing individuals to enter and use the branch’s kiosks to apply for travel permits.
At a Beijing police station, there were no officers overseeing the machine used for applications, and a security guard said that procedures for using the kiosk have not changed, but a customer service operator on the administration’s hotline said that from Aug. 1 the only way to get a permit is to apply in person at selected police stations.
There have also been indications China might be restricting travel from Hong Kong to the mainland.
Last month, a group of Hong Kong students were told that their application to enter China as a tour group was denied because of the protests, a person familiar with the matter said.
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