Editor's Note: ­ As the prospect of renewed international travel returns over the course of 2021, companies and individuals find themselves at a potential inflection point when it comes to travel to China. The decision on whether to return comes amid increasing tensions between China, the United States and U.S. allies — and the associated threat of arbitrary detention of individuals for political reasons. While arbitrary detention of foreigners in China remains rare, the potential impacts are dire, and particularly for people involved in noncommercial, politically sensitive activity who are at higher risk of detention. There are limits, however, to how far China will go, and Beijing has demonstrated a preference for far less inflammatory tactics in its response to international political pressure. In the first of this two-part series, we will examine recent cases of Chinese arbitrary detention and consider Beijing's rationale for this activity.