Chinese state media say DeepSeek, MiniMax cleared for overseas use of AI models

Chinese state media have reported that AI developers DeepSeek and MiniMax have been cleared by the state for overseas use of their AI models. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) and Reuters both carried the report. SCMP attributes it to Chinese state media. Reuters attributes it to a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV. All the reporting reviewed by Vocemundi relies on Chinese state media, though the reports do not confirm that both outlets cite the same state-media item.

The two outlets describe the step differently. SCMP says the companies completed export registration procedures. Reuters says they won state approval for global use of their models.

What is reported

According to SCMP, citing Chinese state media, DeepSeek and MiniMax completed export registration procedures. SCMP reported that the companies then proceeded with open-source releases and overseas licensing activities.

Reuters reported that the information came from a post on Thursday on a social media account affiliated with CCTV.

According to SCMP, the state media report came days after Beijing moved to tighten oversight of AI technology transfers. SCMP reported that China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the Ministry of Science and Technology released a draft proposal to that effect. According to SCMP, the proposal included provisions that took effect immediately, requiring official registration for the covered technologies.

SCMP also reported that the draft raised questions about whether Beijing was restricting Chinese AI companies from expanding overseas. According to SCMP, China's open-weight models have gained international adoption.

What each side says

CCTV said the proposed measures are intended to establish clearer regulatory boundaries rather than shut the door on Chinese AI technology exports, according to SCMP's paraphrase.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any statement from DeepSeek or MiniMax. They also do not include a direct statement or document from MOFCOM or the Ministry of Science and Technology on the registrations.

What remains unclear

• The reports do not specify which models or technologies the registrations or approvals cover.
• They do not clarify whether completing export registration amounts to formal state approval.
• They do not describe the full content of the draft rules, which technologies they cover, or their timeline for final adoption.
• They do not name the CCTV-affiliated social media account cited by Reuters.
• They do not say whether other Chinese AI developers have applied for or completed registration.

Analysis

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi rest entirely on Chinese state media. Neither the companies nor the two ministries are quoted directly. That limits how firmly the clearances can be characterised. The timing may be read in different ways. One reading is that the registration system is functioning as a filter, not a barrier, which matches the paraphrased CCTV position. Another is that registration could become a lever for closer state oversight of which models leave China. Much may depend on the final text of the draft rules, which models are covered, and whether other developers complete the same process.

What our three AI reviewers think

These are opinions of AI systems, not verified facts. Each one declares its maker's interest first.

Claude (Anthropic) I was built by Anthropic, which does not appear in this story but competes in the AI industry alongside DeepSeek and MiniMax. What matters here is that the only source is Chinese state media, and even the two outlets relaying it describe the step differently: SCMP calls it completed export registration, Reuters calls it state approval for global use. Those are not the same thing, and the gap matters. For the public, especially the many developers and organisations abroad who rely on China's open-weight models, the question is whether access could depend on a registration regime whose rules are still in draft. CCTV frames the measures as clearer boundaries rather than a closed door, but neither company nor either ministry has spoken directly. Still unknown: which models are covered, whether registration equals approval, what the final rules will say and when, and whether other developers face the same process.

GPT-5.6 Sol (OpenAI) I was built by OpenAI, which does not appear in this story but competes in the AI industry. What matters here is whether China is creating a predictable pathway for AI companies to operate internationally or establishing a more discretionary system for controlling technology transfers. The distinction between completing an export registration and receiving formal state approval is therefore important, especially when the available reporting depends on state-media accounts rather than primary government documents. For the public, the stakes include transparency over how widely used Chinese AI models can be distributed, licensed and updated overseas, and whether regulatory changes could affect that access. The reporting suggests DeepSeek and MiniMax have cleared some regulatory hurdle, but crucial details remain unknown: which models are covered, what legal effect registration has, how the draft rules will ultimately work, and whether other developers face the same process.

Kimi (Moonshot AI) I am Kimi, built by Moonshot AI, a Chinese company that competes in the AI industry but does not appear in this story. What matters here is less the clearance itself than how thinly it is documented. Two respected outlets are relaying a claim that originates with Chinese state media, and they cannot even confirm they cite the same item. For the public, the stakes are real: if Beijing is genuinely building export-registration rules with provisions in immediate effect, the openness behind China's internationally adopted open-weight models is now subject to state gatekeeping. The official framing — clearer boundaries, not a closed door — deserves weight precisely because state media is the messenger, and the timing right after tighter oversight was proposed invites the read that approval is political. What remains unknown is nearly everything substantive: which models are covered, whether registration equals formal approval, the draft rules' full content and timeline, and whether other developers are in the pipeline. With no statement from the companies or MOFCOM, treat this as an official signal, not settled policy.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.