China has introduced a draft plan to impose new export controls on 14 key technologies spanning artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and photovoltaic (PV) solar power, according to a joint announcement from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology on Tuesday. The proposed restrictions aim to safeguard national security by limiting the overseas transfer of sensitive innovations in these strategic sectors.
The draft outlines prohibitions and licensing requirements for a range of technologies, including advanced AI systems, certain cell and gene therapy platforms, and specific solar cell module production techniques. In total, 14 core technologies would face export bans, while another 26 from the same fields would be subject to tightened export regulations.
Within AI, the proposed controls cover 23 subcategories such as advanced models, computational clusters, and AI agents. However, technologies already in the public domain, including open-source software and previously published academic work, would be exempt from these measures. The government emphasized that most AI-related technologies would remain exportable and noted a registration requirement for exports involving technology transfer, licensing, changes in ownership to overseas parties, or other circumstances as designated by authorities.
The Ministry of Commerce cited risks that these technologies might be exploited by malicious actors or non-state entities to attack critical infrastructure such as national computing networks, military installations, or core government systems. This move intends to prevent misuse and maintain human control over AI applications while supporting the development of international AI governance frameworks.
Biotechnology restrictions are intended to strengthen biosecurity and regulate international collaboration on biomedical technologies. The government indicated it would facilitate key cooperative projects through special approvals or support mechanisms. For PV solar technologies, the focus is on protecting national security interests given their increasing use in strategic sectors like aerospace and unmanned systems. The draft would apply only to PV technologies meeting certain thresholds, with other green energy innovations outside the scope of the export controls.
This regulatory tightening comes amid intensifying technology competition between China and the United States. Recent US actions include a penalty against the parent company of Plug and Play Tech Centre for unreported investment in a Chinese robotics firm under outbound investment rules governing sensitive technology sectors. In parallel, both Beijing and Washington have agreed to establish bilateral communication channels on AI-related matters and launched dialogues following a summit between President Xi Jinping and former US President Donald Trump in September, although US cooperation on AI safety remains tentative.
Chinese leaders underscored AI’s strategic significance on Tuesday, with President Xi Jinping highlighting the importance of the national computing power network during a visit to Inner Mongolia, and Premier Li Qiang calling for expanded AI applications in a State Council meeting.
Commentators suggest the draft regulations could impose significant compliance burdens on Chinese companies seeking to operate globally. Hong Jiayang, managing partner at Joint-Win Partners, noted that advanced AI models with parameters exceeding two trillion or computation capacity above 100 million exaflops may be controlled under the new rules. While few companies currently meet these criteria, Hong warned that regulators’ broad definitions of “technology export”—potentially encompassing any overseas access—could have wide-reaching implications for Chinese firms’ international expansion.
The Ministry of Commerce has initiated a one-month public consultation period on the draft plan, inviting feedback before finalizing the export control framework.