China Proposes Export Controls on 23 AI Technologies

The Ministry of Commerce of China proposed export controls on 23 artificial intelligence technologies on October 16, 2026. The measures target AI models, agents, and computing clusters, specifically those capable of generating malicious software that could threaten critical infrastructure. These controls aim to protect national security and limit the transfer of tools vital to geopolitical competition with the United States.

The proposals regulate the overseas deployment of restricted technology but exclude access via APIs, websites, apps, and software-as-a-service platforms. This distinction allows Chinese developers, including Alibaba and DeepSeek, to continue their international expansion. The AI restrictions are part of a broader revision of the national technology export catalogue, which includes 40 technologies across solar power and biotechnology, such as prohibitions on transferring intellectual property for certain gene therapies.

Exporters are required to register specific overseas transfers starting October 16. The government expects to release final rules after a public consultation period that ends on November 15. These actions follow previous efforts by the United States to maintain a lead in frontier model training through its own export controls on cutting-edge AI chips.