Chinese authorities are considering more stringent export controls regarding AI models and chips, according to a report from The Financial Times. This development represents a significant shift as the country seeks to treat advanced AI as a key asset important to national interests. The proposal would likely be included in the upcoming revision of China's catalogue of technologies that restricts or bans exports, with regulators currently deliberating on the measures while considering industry feedback before making a final decision.
According to The Financial Times report, Chinese regulators and the Ministry of Commerce have held discussions with domestic AI companies and chipmakers on preventing western acquisitions. The Commerce Ministry reportedly engaged in dialogue with major AI firms including Alibaba, ByteDance and Zhipu regarding curbing the transfer of information required for AI model training outside China. Similar discussions were held on permitting the download of model weights by users in foreign countries, as reported by The Financial Times.
The measures under consideration would likely extend to foreign acquisition restrictions of strategic technology such as agentic AI, as reported by The Financial Times. This development follows reports of Chinese government officials holding talks with domestic tech giants over restricting overseas access to advanced AI models, which also covered those that had not yet been rolled out. The proposal represents China's effort to maintain domestic control over its AI capabilities and prevent strategic technology from falling into foreign hands.
