China Accuses US of Politicising Technology Over DeepSeek Ban
China has opposed a United States government ban on the use of artificial intelligence tools developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek in civilian government agencies, accusing Washington of overstretching the concept of national security and politicising technology and trade. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said on Tuesday that Beijing had consistently opposed the use of national security concerns to interfere in scientific, technological and commercial activities, adding that China would protect its businesses. The US Department of Homeland Security announced the restriction on Monday, directing civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party tools developed using its technology from government information technology devices. The department warned that using the tools could expose sensitive information to China, noting that DeepSeek’s servers are located in the country, where the government has extensive legal authority to access private companies’ infrastructure. The restrictions apply to civilian agencies but do not extend to the military or intelligence services. DeepSeek had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
The dispute comes amid intensifying competition between China and the United States for leadership in artificial intelligence, with both countries exchanging accusations over technology theft and security risks. DeepSeek attracted global attention in January 2025 after unveiling a low-cost, high-performance chatbot that challenged assumptions about American dominance in the AI industry. The company subsequently released its V4 model in April 2026 and introduced an updated, lighter version this month. Washington has accused DeepSeek and other leading Chinese AI firms of systematically acquiring capabilities developed by American competitors. Despite the tensions, the two countries agreed in September to establish a communication channel for addressing AI-related incidents. The issue is also expected to feature in discussions when their leaders meet at a summit scheduled for next month in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
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