The Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology jointly published a draft document with the proposed updates for China’s catalog of technologies subjected to export bans or restrictions.
A spokesperson from the commerce ministry said in a statement that the move was “necessary” and cited national security as one of the reasons.
The proposal came as China and the U.S. made progress in dialogues over AI safety and governance and on the setting up of a notification mechanism between the two superpowers for AI incidents that could threaten national security.
Twenty-three AI technologies, from advanced large models to agents, are included on Friday's list, according to the Chinese ministries.
U.S. restrictions have curbed the export of some advanced technologies to China over the past years, with the country blocked from accessing the world’s most cutting-edge AI chips and the advanced chipmaking machines that make them.
Exports of core technologies of AI large models trained using sensitive national data would be prohibited under the Chinese proposal, along with AI agents that are designed to be used in highly sensitive environments such as national defense and critical information infrastructure.
AI is increasingly strategic for both China and the U.S., added Gary Ng, a senior economist at French bank Natixis. “The world is getting more fragmented in trade and investment, but also in access to technologies,” Ng said.
