China said Oct. 20 that it opposes an expansive use of national-security arguments after a U.S. order barred federal civilian agencies from buying covered DeepSeek technology and required its removal from their systems.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, answering a question about the order, said China opposes “overstretching the concept of national security” and the politicization of science, technology and trade. Mao said China would defend the lawful rights and interests of Chinese businesses.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said use of DeepSeek products by federal employees or vendors could expose sensitive information to China. The order identifies a potential exposure and does not say that a transfer took place.
The directive tells civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek and affiliate products, along with products and services from third parties developed with DeepSeek implementations. It also limits covered purchases, including third-party implementations used to supply products or services to the agencies. The order gave agencies 60 days from issuance to request an exception in writing.
The order requiring removal names July 24, 2026, as its original release date and states that it became effective upon issuance. A related notice was filed Oct. 19 and appeared in the Federal Register on Oct. 20.
