China has criticised the United States for ordering federal agencies to stop using artificial intelligence tools from Chinese start-up DeepSeek, accusing Washington of abusing national security to politicise technology and trade.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, speaking at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, said Beijing consistently opposes the overstretching of security concepts and vowed that China would resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises, according to reports. Mao’s remarks followed the US directive announced on Monday.
The DHS order
The Department of Homeland Security ordered 102 federal civilian executive branch agencies, including the Treasury, Justice, State and Agriculture departments, to immediately halt procurement of DeepSeek products and remove its software from existing IT infrastructure, including third-party applications built on its models, according to reports. The order, dating back to late July, cites potential threats regarding the unauthorised transmission of sensitive federal data to China, noting the company’s servers are located in China where authorities have broad legal powers.
The restrictions apply to civilian government agencies under the department’s authority but do not extend to the military or intelligence services, according to reports. No public disclosures indicate US federal agencies were actively deploying DeepSeek models in operational systems before the order.
A heated technology race
DeepSeek, one of China’s leading AI developers, attracted global attention in January 2025 after launching a high-performance chatbot developed at relatively low cost, challenging assumptions about US dominance in the industry, according to reports. The dispute adds friction to the two AI powers’ heated technology race. President Trump and President Xi are set to meet in mid-November at the APEC leaders’ summit in Shenzhen, where AI is expected to be on the agenda. How the two leaders handle the growing list of technology disputes could shape the competitive landscape for years.
