China expands export controls to include AI technology

China is intensifying its export controls on high-tech sectors, specifically targeting artificial intelligence technologies and expert knowledge to protect national security and technological sovereignty.

The government is considering new restrictions on the export of model weights and training data. Additionally, Beijing may regulate foreign contract manufacturers involved in semiconductor production for Chinese chip designs. This shift moves control from physical products to intangible assets, including software, algorithms, model architectures, and technical documentation.

Under these proposed measures, core components of large AI models, such as specially trained parameters, would be explicitly covered. The regulatory framework also extends to human capital; highly qualified AI developers from companies like Alibaba and DeepSeek are now subject to a de facto export regime, requiring official permission to travel abroad.