China has criticised a United States government ban on the use of artificial intelligence tools developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek across federal agencies, accusing Washington of stretching the concept of national security.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said on Tuesday that Beijing opposed the politicisation of scientific, technological and trade-related issues, pledging to protect Chinese businesses, AFP reported.
“China has consistently opposed the overstretching of the concept of national security and the politicisation of issues related to science, technology, and trade,” Mao told a news conference.
The response followed a directive issued on Monday by the US Department of Homeland Security prohibiting civilian government agencies from using DeepSeek products and third-party tools developed with the company’s technology.
The department warned that the tools posed potential security risks, including the possible transfer of sensitive information to China when used by American government employees or contractors.
It also raised concerns about DeepSeek’s servers being located in China, where the legal framework, according to the department, gives the government extensive powers to access private companies’ infrastructure.
“DeepSeek’s models present multiple threat vectors,” the department said, adding that the tools must be removed from government information technology devices.
The directive applies to civilian agencies under the department’s authority but does not cover the military or intelligence services.
AFP said it had contacted DeepSeek for comment.
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 national security risks.
DeepSeek emerged as a major challenger to American AI firms in January 2025 after unveiling a chatbot that combined strong performance with relatively low development costs, raising questions about the extent of US dominance in the sector.
The Chinese AI laboratory subsequently released its long-awaited V4 model in April and updated a faster, lightweight version this month.
Washington has accused DeepSeek and other leading Chinese AI developers of systematically extracting capabilities from advanced models developed by American competitors.
Despite the rivalry, the two countries agreed in September to establish a communication channel for addressing AI-related incidents, in a move aimed at managing risks associated with the rapidly advancing technology.
Artificial intelligence is also expected to feature in discussions when the leaders of both countries meet next month for a summit in Shenzhen, China.
The latest dispute highlights the growing intersection of technological competition, trade tensions and national security concerns between the world’s two largest economies.
Leave a Reply