China’s new exit-and-entry regulations, which take effect on September 15, will give authorities broader powers to scrutinize the reasons people leave the country and, in certain circumstances, restrict their ability to travel abroad.

Protecting national security is a legitimate responsibility of any government. But “national security” should never become a blank check for expanding state power.

For ordinary people, traveling abroad, visiting family, studying, working, or attending an international conference are simply personal choices. If someone has committed no crime, why should they have to repeatedly prove that they deserve to leave their own country?

The greater concern is not just whether a particular person will be stopped at the border. It is the uncertainty created when the government has increasingly broad discretion to decide who may leave and why. That uncertainty can affect people’s decisions about their careers, education, travel, and international connections.

A truly confident country should not be afraid of its own people seeing the world.

National security matters. But so does individual freedom. The greater the power given to the government, the stronger the legal limits and safeguards should be.

The ability to leave one’s own country should not become a privilege granted at the government’s discretion.