China says US' DeepSeek ban disregards Xi-Trump consensus

On Tuesday, China's Commerce Ministry vehemently criticized a U.S. government order banning the Chinese AI model DeepSeek from federal agency IT systems, asserting that the measure damaged Chinese firms' interests and ignored the consensus reached between the countries' leaders. In a statement, the ministry called on the U.S. to promptly rectify its misguided actions and lift the discriminatory and restrictive measures in question, emphasizing that Beijing would keep a close eye on the situation and take all necessary steps to protect its interests.

On Monday, the U.S. Homeland Security Department mandated the removal of DeepSeek products and third-party services utilizing the Chinese AI model from civilian federal agency IT systems. Additionally, the department prohibited agencies from procuring DeepSeek products or third-party services developed using the model. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contended that DeepSeek models harbored multiple threat vectors and raised concerns over the potential transfer of sensitive data to China if used by U.S. government employees or vendors.

Beijing expressed strong dissatisfaction and vehemently opposed the order, according to the Commerce Ministry.