China protests US Deepseek ban while blocking ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini at home

What happened

China has protested a US Department of Homeland Security order requiring civilian federal agencies to remove Deepseek products, including third-party software built on its open-source models, and prohibiting future purchases. Beijing calls the ban discriminatory and threatens countermeasures, while China imposes broader restrictions on foreign AI services. The article argues that the protest signals support for domestic firms and prepares a political justification for retaliation.

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