China clamps down on overseas travel for top AI executives

China is reportedly stepping up oversight of its artificial intelligence (AI) sector by placing tighter controls on overseas travel for certain AI professionals working at private companies, according to a Bloomberg report.

The report said some employees at firms including Alibaba and DeepSeek are now required to obtain approval from authorities before travelling abroad.

The measures are said to cover individuals viewed as strategically important to China’s AI ambitions, including startup founders, senior researchers and key executives. Bloomberg reported that officials are determining who falls under the restrictions based on their relevance to national technology priorities rather than job titles alone.

The move marks another sign of Beijing increasing supervision over sectors tied to advanced technologies such as AI and semiconductors, especially as competition with the United States intensifies.

Chinese authorities had earlier asked some AI professionals to disclose foreign travel plans, but the latest requirements reportedly introduce a stricter approval mechanism before international trips.

The tighter scrutiny comes alongside broader efforts by Beijing to strengthen domestic control over critical AI infrastructure and reduce dependence on foreign technology.

Last month, China directed Meta to reverse its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an AI startup that was originally founded in China before shifting operations to Singapore. The Chinese government has also been encouraging local technology companies to rely more heavily on domestic chipmakers such as Huawei instead of US AI hardware suppliers.

At the same time, Chinese AI companies are facing increasing international attention. DeepSeek has recently come under scrutiny in the United States, with reports suggesting the Trump administration is considering restrictions linked to national security concerns.

Separately, media reports suggest that more Chinese-origin researchers working overseas in AI and semiconductor fields are returning to China.

Among them are semiconductor researcher Da Bo, who had worked on projects linked to TSMC’s 3nm facility in Japan and AI chip researcher Song Yuhang, who recently joined Nanjing University’s School of Artificial Intelligence after training at Oxford University.