An Atlanta-based banker working for Wells Fargo has been prevented from leaving China, the latest incident that threatens to amplify concerns among Western executives about the potential consequences of visiting the world’s second-biggest economy.

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

China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Chenyue Mao, the Wells Fargo banker who has been blocked from leaving the country, was involved in a criminal case and obliged to cooperate with the investigation.