China may soon follow the United States when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). At least, that’s what it seems. Recently, the US government restricted access to advanced AI models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic for several countries. Now, a new report says Chinese authorities are also considering restricting overseas access to China’s most advanced AI models.
According to a new report by the Financial Times, China is considering tighter export controls on AI and semiconductor technologies. The move shows that China, much like the US, now sees AI as a strategic national asset that needs tighter control.
Earlier this month, a Reuters report said Chinese officials had held discussions with leading technology companies about restricting overseas access to China’s most advanced AI models, including models that have not yet been launched.
According to a report by the Financial Times, China’s Ministry of Commerce has been consulting major AI and semiconductor companies on ways to prevent the country’s advanced technologies and AI start-ups from being acquired by foreign companies.
The ministry has also reportedly spoken with companies such as Alibaba, ByteDance and Zhipu about limiting the transfer of important training data outside China. Officials are also discussing whether foreign users should be allowed to download the model weights, which are a key part of how AI models work.
The report further claims that China is considering restrictions that could stop overseas chip manufacturers, including Qualcomm and TSMC, from producing advanced chips based on designs created by Chinese companies such as Huawei, Alibaba and ByteDance.
If approved, these proposals could become part of the next update to China’s list of technologies that are banned or restricted for export. The report adds that the plans are still under review, and regulators are collecting feedback from industry before taking a final decision.
China is also said to be exploring limits on foreign acquisitions of strategic technologies, including fast-growing areas such as agentic AI.
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