China has been imposing travel restrictions on university researchers, scientists linked to the nuclear sector and executives of state-owned companies for years, but the extension of these practices to private companies is considered unusual
China is imposing restrictions on travel abroad for top professionals in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) at private companies such as Alibaba and DeepSeek, aiming to protect technology considered strategic, Bloomberg reported.
According to sources cited by the news agency, government bodies have begun to impose restrictions on individuals involved in advanced AI work considered strategically important to the country, requiring prior authorization from authorities for international travel.
The restrictions cover start-up founders, researchers and industry executives, although the scope of the measures, including hierarchical levels or specific functions targeted, remains unclear.
China has already imposed travel restrictions on university researchers, scientists linked to the nuclear sector and executives of state-owned companies for years, but the extension of these practices to private companies is considered unusual.
According to the same sources, Chinese authorities also began to include people on restriction lists based on their strategic importance to the country, and not just their position or place of work.
The measures reflect the growing perception of AI engineers as strategic assets for the world’s second largest economy. Much of the current Chinese talent in the area emerged after the emergence of the ChatGPT AI model, especially in technology giants and private start-ups.
However, the restrictions could make it difficult for Chinese AI companies to recruit and retain talent, in addition to raising concerns about government intervention in the sector.
The issue gained greater visibility after Beijing demanded that the North American Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, cancel the acquisition of Manus, an AI company founded in China but transferred to Singapore, in a deal valued at two billion dollars (1,718 million euros).
According to the British newspaper Financial Times, Chinese authorities prevented two of Manus’ co-founders from leaving the country while they investigated the operation.
Although the new restrictions are not necessarily linked to the Manus case, sources cited by the press say that preventing technological leaks continues to be a central objective of Chinese policy.
Some private-sector AI engineers were already required to communicate international travel plans to authorities in advance, although formal authorization was not always required before travel.
In 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese authorities had advised founders and leading AI researchers to avoid travel to the United States, although without imposing an outright ban.
