Wells Fargo has suspended all travel to China after the incident, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Shanghai-born Chenyue Mao, who spearheads the bank's international factoring business, was subjected to the ban after she entered China in recent weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported. She is a U.S. citizen, a source told Reuters.

China has prevented a Wells Fargo banker from leaving the country, the American bank said, adding to concerns about travel there as tensions with Washington remain high. A Wells Fargo spokesperson said the bank was “closely tracking this situation and working through the appropriate channels so our employee can return to the United States as soon as possible”.

Wells Fargo has suspended all travel to China after a banker was blocked from leaving the country, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday, causing broader anxiety about the risks of travel in the country.