https://preview.redd.it/ylqtvjgd6m3h1.png?width=1456&format=png&auto=webp&s=e1897d09ed03c0b5e80cb607307026a75fc1f3c2 Chinese government agencies have started requiring top AI researchers, founders, and managers from private tech firms, including Alibaba and DeepSeek, to get official approval before they can travel abroad. Bloomberg is reporting that these travel restrictions are directly aimed at specialists working on advanced AI projects that the state considers strategically important. This is basically a continuation of Beijing tightening its grip on the private tech sector. Back in December 2025, travel restrictions were quietly placed on a few DeepSeek executives, and even before that, the government blocked two co-founders of the startup Manus AI from leaving China. Plus, in April 2026, the government stepped in and blocked Meta’s attempt to buy Manus AI for $2 billion. To give you some context, this kind of strict travel control used to be reserved just for state-owned company bosses, academic researchers, and nuclear scientists. They’re clearly working hard to protect their domestic infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign tech. IDC data actually shows that Chinese chipmakers currently control 41 percent of the local AI accelerator market. The whole move highlights Beijing’s strategy to view elite private-sector engineers as strategic state assets. The goal here is pretty clear: stop tech leaks, protect IP, and maintain their edge against the US in the global tech race. Source: https://the-decoder.com/china-reportedly-now-requires-top-ai-researchers-to-get-permission-before-leaving-the-country/ submitted by /u/andrewaltair
Originally posted by u/andrewaltair on r/ArtificialInteligence