China imposes travel restrictions on AI workers at private companies: report

China is reportedly requiring some senior AI workers at private companies, including Alibaba and DeepSec, to obtain approval before traveling abroad, tightening state control over a key part of the country’s technology sector.

The restrictions apply to startup founders, researchers and executives deemed important to China’s AI ambitions, with authorities adding people to the list based on their strategic value rather than their seniority or employer, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. Bloomberg a report Citing people familiar with the matter.

However, questions remain about how many workers could be affected, what roles are eligible, and how widespread restrictions are in China’s AI industry. Some private sector AI workers had previously been required to report plans to travel abroad, but not necessarily obtain approval before leaving the country, according to the report.

These reported restrictions follow other signs of tightening state control over AI companies linked to China.

Beijing last month commander Meta is unwinding its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an AI startup that started in China before moving to Singapore. China has it too Move To reduce dependence on American AI chips, which pushes local companies towards Huawei and other local alternatives.

DeepSeek, one of the companies mentioned in the report Drawn The scrutiny, as the Trump administration considers restrictions on the Chinese AI startup over national security concerns.

There has also been a broader return influx of Chinese scientists and engineers in artificial intelligence and semiconductors accelerationaccording to SCMP reports. These cases include semiconductor researcher Da Bo He comes back To China after work related to TSMC’s 3nm technology factory in Japan, and Oxford-trained AI chip researcher Song Yuhang Join School of Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University.

“Reversing the brain drain”

Joshua Chow, a lawyer, lecturer and co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, said the reported restrictions complicate the narrative of China’s “reverse brain drain.” Decryption.

He noted that the return of chip and artificial intelligence researchers was seen as proof that Beijing could bring elite talent home with money, titles and prestige.

For AI and semiconductor researchers at Chinese companies, travel has become part of the country’s security calculations, Zhu explained.

Their passports and conference schedules could be treated as “national security variables” when Beijing is concerned about technology leaks, he added, noting how that could blur the line between private companies and the state, while reshaping the deal for talent to return to China.

Chu notes that top scientists and engineers once moved through a more open global economy after the Cold War.

He added that the fact that exit controls for private sector AI talent are being discussed in 2026 suggests that for some countries, “the logic of keeping human capital at home is beginning to trump the logic of letting ideas and people flow freely.”