China has expanded overseas travel restrictions on leading artificial intelligence professionals at private technology companies, including Alibaba Group and DeepSeek, in what appears to be a broader effort by Beijing to safeguard sensitive technologies and strengthen its position in the global AI race with the United States, Bloomberg reports.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Chinese authorities have begun imposing tighter controls on individuals involved in advanced AI development who are considered strategically important to the country. Those affected are now required to obtain official approval before traveling abroad.
China has long enforced travel restrictions on personnel in sensitive sectors, including nuclear scientists, senior executives at state-owned enterprises, and prominent academic researchers. However, the extension of such controls to employees of private AI firms marks a significant expansion of government oversight.
The restrictions reportedly apply to a range of industry figures, including startup founders, researchers and senior executives. Sources said authorities are selecting individuals not solely based on seniority or employer, but also on assessments of their strategic importance to China’s technological ambitions.
The measures underscore the growing perception within Beijing that elite AI engineers represent critical national assets as competition with the United States intensifies.
China’s most advanced AI talent pool has largely emerged in the years following the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with many specialists working at major technology firms and fast-growing startups.
However, analysts warn that the tighter restrictions could complicate efforts by Chinese AI companies to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, particularly those seeking greater international collaboration and mobility.
The developments also come amid broader concerns over state intervention in the technology sector. Beijing recently demanded that Meta Platforms unwind its reported $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an AI startup originally founded in China before relocating to Singapore. The deal reportedly triggered criticism within China over the transfer of sensitive technology and talent overseas.
According to previous reports, Chinese authorities also barred two Manus co-founders from leaving the country while regulators reviewed the acquisition.
Sources stressed that the new travel measures are not necessarily directly linked to the Manus case, but said preventing technology leakage remains a central policy objective for Beijing.
Some AI professionals in China’s private sector have already been required in recent years to report overseas travel plans to authorities, although prior approval was not always mandatory. In 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials had advised prominent AI founders and researchers to avoid traveling to the United States, though no formal travel ban was introduced at the time.
By Vafa Guliyeva
