China Plans AI Export Controls Covering Advanced Models, Agents and Chip Designs

China is proposing new AI export controls covering 23 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including advanced large language models (LLMs), AI agents, computing clusters and chip designs, with restrictions potentially extending to model weights and source code as Beijing tightens control over strategically important homegrown technologies.

The Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology issued the proposal, soliciting public comments on revisions to China’s “Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export in China” and introducing temporary registration requirements for exports covered by the proposal.

The draft covers 40 technologies across AI, biomedicine and photovoltaics. In AI, 23 technologies relate to “large-scale models, intelligent agents, computing clusters, and information processing.”

The proposal specifies that “technologies already in the public domain through open-source methods or published academic papers are not included in the scope of management.”

The AI measures would cover advanced models and agents, including technologies for which model weights and source code meet specified performance thresholds.

Exports of core technologies for AI large models trained using sensitive national data would be prohibited, while AI agents designed for highly sensitive environments such as national defense and critical information infrastructure would also face restrictions.

“The Chinese government is implementing such necessary measures with the aims of reinforcing the security bottom line, preventing misuse and abuse, and ensuring that AI remains under human control,” the commerce ministry said, according to AP.

2 Trillion Parameters Could Trigger AI Export Restrictions

The draft proposes restrictions on AI models with 2 trillion or more parameters, as well as models meeting certain world-leading capability thresholds. Chinese models including Moonshot’s Kimi K3 and Alibaba’s Qwen 3.8-Max are among those reported to exceed the 2-trillion-parameter level, although the proposal does not identify specific models.

The proposed catalogue also includes several chip-design technologies, including technologies related to some AI processing chips and memory chips.

Beyond AI, the draft covers five biomedicine technologies, including cell and gene therapy, and 12 photovoltaic technologies involving polysilicon manufacturing, silicon wafer manufacturing and cell manufacturing.

Key and core equipment carrying those technologies would also fall within the technology-management scope.

Exporters Face Registration Before Technology Transfers

The draft states: “From the date of this announcement until the date of the formal revision and implementation of the ‘Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export in China,’ technology export operators shall register with the Technology Trade Management Information Application Platform of the Ministry of Commerce before exporting the technologies listed in the annex to this announcement. Exports that have begun but not yet been completed are within the scope of registration.”

The proposal says registration applies to transferring technology ownership overseas, such as intellectual property rights transfer; Domestic technology licensed for use overseas, such as intellectual property license; and cases where the owner or actual controller of the domestic technology is changed to a foreign entity.

Registered information would include the exporter and recipient, destination country or region, technology being exported, intended use and estimated export value.

Public comments on the proposed technologies, indicators, control policies and facilitation measures will be accepted from October 16 to November 15, 2026.

The move comes as China and the U.S. continue discussions on AI safety and governance while competing over access to advanced technologies.

Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at Omdia, told AP the move “can be seen as a response to Western countries posting sovereignty requirements on AI, robotics, telecommunications, and other key technologies.”

Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis, said: “The world is getting more fragmented in trade and investment, but also in access to technologies.”