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China Responds to US DeepSeek Ban: Beijing Criticizes 'Overstretching' of National Security
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Oct 20 that China opposes the 'overstretching' of national-security arguments and the politicization of science, technology and trade, vowing to protect the lawful rights of Chinese companies.
Why it matters
Less than a day after Washington published its government-wide exclusion and removal order against DeepSeek, Beijing responded through an official channel. The DeepSeek dispute has escalated from a procurement order into the latest diplomatic flare-up in US-China AI competition.
Full report
According to the Associated Press on Oct 20, 2026, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the US move, saying China opposes the 'overstretching' of national-security arguments and the politicization and weaponization of science, technology and trade issues, and that China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
The response targets the US Department of Homeland Security's Exclusion and Removal Order #2026-01, which bars federal civilian agencies from procuring IT products and services from Hangzhou DeepSeek AI and its affiliates, and orders the removal of installed DeepSeek software and third-party products built on its models. The order was signed by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on July 24 and filed for public inspection in the Federal Register on Oct 19 (formal publication Oct 20).
DHS cited 'multiple threat vectors': federal employee or contractor use could 'lead to the transfer of sensitive data to China', and the models 'may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities'. These are the US government's stated claims; there is no independent evidence that DeepSeek has actually transferred sensitive data.
US and Chinese leaders are scheduled to meet in November 2026, where technology and AI governance could be on the agenda. This story will be updated.
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