China opposes US ban on DeepSeek AI tools, accuses Washington of politicising security

China has opposed the United States government’s decision to ban federal agencies from using artificial intelligence tools developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek, accusing Washington of overstretching the concept of national security.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, criticised the move on Tuesday, saying Beijing opposed the politicisation of issues relating to science, technology and trade.

“China has consistently opposed the overstretching of the concept of national security and the politicisation of issues related to science, technology, and trade,” Mao told a news conference.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced the ban on Monday, directing civilian government agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party tools developed using the company’s technology from their IT devices.

The department warned that using the tools could expose sensitive information to China, citing concerns over the location of DeepSeek’s servers and the Chinese government’s legal authority to access private company infrastructure.

It also said DeepSeek’s AI models presented multiple security risks, although the ban does not cover the US military or intelligence services.

In response, Beijing vowed to protect Chinese businesses against what it views as the excessive use of national security arguments in technology and trade disputes.

The dispute comes amid growing competition between China and the United States for dominance in the artificial intelligence industry. Both countries have exchanged accusations in recent months over alleged technology theft and security risks.

DeepSeek attracted global attention in January 2025 after launching a low-cost, high-performance chatbot that challenged assumptions about US dominance in AI development. The company released its V4 model in April and subsequently updated a faster, lightweight version.

Washington has also accused DeepSeek and other leading Chinese AI companies of systematically stealing capabilities from advanced models developed by American competitors.

Despite the rivalry, China and the US agreed in September to establish a communication channel for addressing AI-related incidents. The issue is expected to feature in discussions when the two countries’ leaders meet next month at a summit in Shenzhen, China.

DeepSeek had yet to publicly respond to the latest US government decision at the time of the report.