Chinese authorities are advising the country’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) entrepreneurs and researchers to avoid traveling to the United States, citing concerns over national security and potential detentions, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Officials fear that AI experts traveling abroad could inadvertently disclose confidential information regarding China’s technological advancements. There are also worries that executives could be detained and used as leverage in U.S.-China negotiations, similar to the 2018 arrest of a Huawei executive in Canada at Washington’s request.
The U.S. and China are locked in a fierce AI race, with Chinese firms such as DeepSeek developing AI models that claim to rival American industry giants like OpenAI and Google. Amid this competition, Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need for cybersecurity and technological self-reliance, urging top executives to bolster national security.
According to the report, AI executives who choose to travel must inform authorities of their plans beforehand and debrief officials upon their return. DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng reportedly declined an invitation to an AI summit in Paris, while another Chinese AI entrepreneur canceled a planned U.S. trip under government instructions.
Neither the White House nor China’s State Council Information Office has responded to requests for comment.
AI News Monitor 
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