The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday ordered the removal of DeepSeek products and third‑party services that use the model from civilian federal agency IT systems. The DHS said the DeepSeek models pose "multiple threats" because their use could result in sensitive data being transmitted to China.
In response, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday sharply criticized the United States and urged Washington to immediately correct what it called a wrongful practice and to withdraw discriminatory restrictive measures. Beijing said it is closely monitoring developments and will take all necessary steps to protect its interests.
Sanctions announced alongside the ban
Also on Monday, the U.S. State Department announced sanctions targeting Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, its venture capital investor and three related organizations, accusing them of stealing AI‑related trade secrets. The founder of Zhisuan, Ting Lin‑wei, a former Google software engineer, was convicted in January for theft of AI secrets; that conviction was partly vacated in August.
China rejected the sanctions, saying the United States is exaggerating the issue of so‑called trade‑secret theft and deliberately smearing Chinese companies. Beijing stated that the rapid development of its AI industry reflects long‑term investment and a commitment to technological self‑reliance.
Calls for adherence to prior understandings and dialogue
The Chinese ministry urged Washington to honor the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and to make use of the China–U.S. AI dialogue framework. In its statements, Beijing reiterated that it will defend its national interests as necessary.
Source and note
This article is based on reporting by Reuters. An AI assistant contributed to preparing the piece; the final content was edited and verified by our journalist.
