China protests the US Deepseek ban while blocking ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini at home
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The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered civilian federal agencies to remove all products from Chinese AI company Deepseek, citing concerns that Beijing could access sensitive data. In response, China's Foreign and Commerce Ministries have condemned the decision as discriminatory and vowed to implement countermeasures. However, this protest is viewed as politically inconsistent because China strictly blocks Western AI services like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini within its borders. Since 2023, the Cyberspace Administration has required all AI services in China to comply with political guidelines, applying these rules to the entire market rather than just government entities. Additionally, Chinese laws mandate that companies support intelligence services, and there are ongoing accusations of industrial-scale model copying by US agencies. Despite the lack of credibility in Beijing's outrage, the move serves to signal domestic support for local tech firms and frames future retaliation as a defensive response. Ultimately, both nations are using national security arguments to protect their respective markets and technological interests.
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