Beijing Responds Harshly to US DeepSeek Ban

Beijing stated that the US government's decision to ban official agencies from using tools by Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek goes beyond the concept of national security. The US Department of Homeland Security had announced that it implemented this ban due to data security concerns.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that products developed by DeepSeek and solutions created using these tools by third parties pose a risk of sharing sensitive data with China, and requested their removal from IT devices. The department claimed that because the servers are located in China and the country's legal system grants broad powers to access private company infrastructure, use by US public employees or contractors could lead to sensitive data transfer. It was noted that the directive covers civilian agencies, but does not encompass the military or intelligence services.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning spoke out against the ban during a press conference on Tuesday, stating that Beijing will protect its businesses. Mao Ning emphasized that China has always opposed the over-stretching of the concept of national security and the politicization of issues related to science, technology, and trade. While the US and China are engaged in a race for global dominance in the artificial intelligence sector, they have exchanged reciprocal allegations of technology theft and security accusations in recent months. It was reported that AFP contacted DeepSeek for comment on the matter.