China proposes adding 40 AI, biotech, solar technologies to export control list

China ​has proposed adding ‌40 technologies across ​the artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaic sectors to its ‌catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from export, the commerce ministry announced on Friday.

Public opinions are now being ‌sought on the proposed revision until November 15 ‌and China is simultaneously implementing interim pre-export registration management for the relevant technologies. Those included in the proposed revision are AI ⁠models, intelligent ​agents and ⁠computing clusters, which are the three fundamental building blocks of ⁠China's AI industry, at a time of increasing competition ​and geopolitical tensions with the United States over ⁠the technology's frontier development.

In a separate statement, the ministry ⁠said ​the revision was proposed as applications of related technologies in sensitive fields are constantly expanding ⁠and that the move was routine and does not target ⁠any ⁠specific country, region or entity.