Beijing blocked a U.S. federal employee from leaving China after they traveled to the country in a personal capacity, the State Department confirmed Tuesday. The employee, who works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),

China is refusing to let a U.S. Department of Commerce employee and a Wells Fargo banker leave the country, officials say.

The State Department says a U.S. government employee has been banned from leaving China while traveling there in a personal capacity.