China defends DeepSeek after US ban from government systems

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 11:02 · Archive

The US Department of Homeland Security has banned Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from federal civilian agencies, citing security concerns.

The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek and its affiliated products from their IT systems and blocked them from purchasing its products and services. The order, made public on Monday but dated to late July, also affects third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek. The Federal Register notice alleges that DeepSeek's models 'present multiple threat vectors', citing concerns that its servers are located in China and that Chinese authorities could potentially access private company infrastructure and sensitive US data.

DeepSeek is one of China's leading AI companies. Its open-source models are widely available and mostly free to use in countries including the United States. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will 'resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies'. She told reporters that 'China consistently opposes the overstretching of the concept of national security and the politicising of science, technology, economic and trade issues'. The move reflects broader tensions between the US and China in the AI sector.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in mid-November at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. The two countries have made some progress on AI governance collaboration, including a US proposal for a notification system on national security incidents, but remain at odds on many issues.

How it is being reported

• China defends DeepSeek after US ban of its AI from government systemsChina has criticized a U.S. ban on AI startup DeepSeek for federal civilian agencies, highlighting tensions in the tech race between the two countries.Clickorlando · 20 Oct, 10:36
• China defends DeepSeek after US ban of its AI from government systemsChina has criticized a U.S. ban on AI startup DeepSeek for federal civilian agencies, highlighting tensions in the tech race between the two countries.News4Jax · 20 Oct, 10:36

In this story: DeepSeek · China · United States · Department of Homeland Security · Mao Ning · Donald Trump · Xi Jinping

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem