Bloomberg: China "Restricts Top AI Talent from Leaving the Country," Alibaba and DeepSeek executives are forced to surrender their passports

The US-China tech war has fully escalated from a "chip war" to a "talent war"! According to Bloomberg's report today (26th), Chinese authorities are expanding overseas travel restrictions targeting top domestic AI talent, with controls extending to private companies like Alibaba and well-known startups like DeepSeek. Key executives and researchers targeted must obtain strict official approval before leaving the country, and some are even forced to surrender their passports to their companies for safekeeping. This move aims to prevent the leakage of national-level AI secrets, but outsiders fear it equates to treating human brains as hardware devices, potentially severely stifling international exchange and innovation in China's AI sector.
(Background summary: Nvidia's Huang Renxun: China market will eventually open up to US AI chips)
(Additional background: Anthropic report: By 2028, the battle for AI dominance—if the US doesn't maintain its computational advantage, China may overtake)

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• Tightening control over private companies, executives and researchers forced to "surrender passports"
• Preventing talent and technology outflow to the US
• Could it backfire? Market worries that "isolation" will stifle innovation

Against the backdrop of increasingly intense US-China tech rivalry, China's government is extending its protective measures for core technologies from "physical chip hardware" to "human brains."

According to reports from Bloomberg and other foreign media on May 26, 2026, China is further expanding overseas travel restrictions targeting top artificial intelligence (AI) professionals. This policy has shifted from previous restrictions on state-owned institutions or specific cases (such as the former Manus AI founder) to a systematic reach over a broad range of private enterprises. Core personnel from tech giants like Alibaba Group and popular AI startups like DeepSeek are now on the restricted list.

Tightening control over private companies, executives and researchers forced to "surrender passports"

This control measure is enforced quite strictly. The report indicates that Chinese government agencies are requiring individuals involved in advanced AI research, deemed "strategically important," to obtain official approval before leaving the country.

• Targeting the "core brains": The restrictions are not based on job titles or companies but on the "personal strategic importance," covering AI startup founders, core researchers, and corporate executives.
• Centralized passport management: Affected AI talents are often required to hand over their passports to their employers (companies) for centralized custody. The official reason given is to prevent potential access to or leakage of national strategies or commercial secrets.

This approach, combining internal corporate policies with strong government guidance, shows that Chinese authorities now regard AI talent as equivalent to advanced semiconductor hardware or model code—"national assets" subject to control.

Preventing talent and technology outflow to the US

Behind this unprecedented strict talent control lies Beijing’s anxiety and determination to protect advanced technologies and counter US AI hegemony.

Under the dual pressures of strict US export controls on AI chips and concerns over top talent being poached overseas with high salaries, China’s core goal is to prevent technology leaks, brain drain, and intellectual property (IP) loss. In fact, data shows that the number of AI talents flowing from China to the US has significantly decreased in recent years.

Could it backfire? Market worries that "isolation" will stifle innovation

Reactions to this talent ban are mixed:

• National security supporters: Believe that in the current geopolitical environment, this is a pragmatic move to protect national strategic capabilities, consistent with controls over other key technologies.
• Concerns over technological innovation: Critics strongly worry that physically isolating researchers could severely hinder international technological collaboration. In the highly competitive AI field, restricting free movement might scare away overseas elites, slowing China's overall AI development.
• Investment market risks: For investors, this policy highlights potential huge risks for China's AI industry in cross-border transactions, corporate acquisitions, and recruiting top talent.

This restriction aligns with China's recent trend of strengthening control over "strategic industries," while simultaneously supporting domestic AI companies like DeepSeek through national efforts. As the talent war escalates, the gap in tech decoupling between China and the US may become increasingly difficult to bridge.