China protests the U.S. ban on DeepSeek while blocking ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini at home

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has required federal civilian agencies to remove all products of the Chinese company DeepSeek from their information systems; the ban covers software from other vendors built on its open-source models and prohibits future procurement, with the U.S. side citing concerns that Beijing could use it to obtain sensitive data. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the U.S. of overextending the concept of national security, and the Ministry of Commerce demanded the ban be withdrawn and vowed firm countermeasures. The article notes that China's blockade of its own market is stricter: ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are not approved in the country, and since 2023 the Cyberspace Administration has had to review AI services and require compliance with political orientation, and this rule applies to the entire market; according to The New York Times, Beijing last week also proposed AI technology export and licensing controls similar to those of the U.S. The author argues that although the Chinese protest has low credibility, it lays the groundwork for subsequent countermeasures, and both sides are using national security as grounds to protect their own markets and technologies.