China proposes export controls that could restrict overseas access to leading open-weight AI models

Draft rules would require approval for overseas transfers of some of China’s most powerful AI models, potentially reshaping access to systems from DeepSeek, Alibaba and other developers.

China has proposed a fresh layer of export controls that could shape how some of its most advanced artificial intelligence systems are shared abroad, adding to a wider pattern of tighter oversight on strategic technologies. The draft amendments, issued by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology, would expand the country’s technology export catalogue to cover a range of AI tools, including large models, AI agents, chip designs and computing clusters.

According to the Associated Press and South China Morning Post, the proposed rules focus on a narrow set of high-end systems rather than the whole AI market. They would apply to core models trained on important Chinese data if they exceed a computing threshold of 10 to the power of 26 floating-point operations, or if they contain two trillion parameters or more. Models that rank among the world’s top 10 on relevant leaderboards are also included.

The move matters for developers and businesses outside China that rely on open-weight models from groups such as DeepSeek, Alibaba, Moonshot AI and Z.ai. Open-weight systems publish their trained parameters for download and local deployment, allowing companies to run them on their own infrastructure and fine-tune them for specific products. If transfers of those weights from China require approval, the rules could add uncertainty around future releases, overseas deployment and commercial use.

Reuters reported that China’s commerce ministry said the controls are targeted and limited in scope, and that access to some AI services through application programming interfaces, websites, mobile apps and software-as-a-service platforms would remain outside the draft restrictions. The ministry has also said most AI technologies would still be eligible for export. The consultation period is open until 15 November 2026, and the final version will determine which technologies need approval and how licensing would apply to transfers abroad.

Industry watchers say the practical effect will depend on how the rules are enforced. A spokesperson for the commerce ministry told the South China Morning Post that licensing for open-source AI technologies would be expedited, with immediate clearance upon filing, although analysts have said the meaning of that process is not yet clear. That uncertainty comes as China has already tightened export controls in other strategic sectors, including unmanned aerial vehicles and aerospace-related technologies, under its broader national security and non-proliferation framework.