China's President Xi Jinping. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov / POOL / AFP)
Beijing opposed on Tuesday a US government ban on its agencies using AI tools from Chinese startup DeepSeek, saying the move “overstretched” the concept of national security.
China and the United States are locked in a race for dominance in the fast-moving artificial intelligence sector, trading accusations of stealing AI technologies and jeopardising security in recent months.
The US Department of Homeland Security on Monday banned products developed by DeepSeek — and tools created using DeepSeek by third parties — saying they risked sharing sensitive data with China.
Beijing’s foreign ministry opposed the ban on Tuesday, vowing to protect Chinese businesses.
“China has consistently opposed the overstretching of the concept of national security and the politicisation of issues related to science, technology, and trade,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference.
The Department of Homeland Security can issue directions to civilian agencies, but not the military or intelligence services.
Its statement on Monday said that “DeepSeek’s models present multiple threat vectors” and must be removed from IT devices.
Use of DeepSeek AI tools “may result in the transfer of sensitive data to (China) if used by US government employees or vendors,” the department warned.
Its servers are located in China, where the legal system permits the government “extensive authority” to access private company infrastructure, it said.
AFP has contacted DeepSeek for comment.
DeepSeek, one of China’s top AI labs, shook up the industry in January 2025 with a low-cost, high-performance chatbot, challenging assumptions of US dominance.
The firm released a long-awaited new model, V4, in April and this month updated a faster, more lightweight version of V4.
The United States has accused DeepSeek and other top Chinese AI firms of systematically stealing the capabilities of cutting-edge models developed by American rivals.
Despite their fierce competition in the field, China and the United States in September agreed to set up a “communication channel” for AI incidents.
The topic is expected to arise again when the countries’ leaders meet next month at a summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
AFP