China to Require Approval for Some Private AI Workers’ Travel

Chinese authorities are requiring some senior founders, researchers and executives at private AI firms, including Alibaba and DeepSeek, to obtain government approval before traveling overseas, people familiar with the policy said.

The restrictions apply to individuals judged to have strategic value for the country’s AI development rather than to all employees with certain job titles. Officials are adding names to the list on a case-by-case basis. Previously, some private-sector AI workers were asked to report overseas travel plans; the new requirement elevates reporting to a formal approval process for a subset of personnel. It is not publicly known how many people are affected, which exact roles qualify or how uniformly the rule is being applied across the sector.

Authorities cited concern about the transfer of sensitive knowledge when notifying companies, according to people familiar with the matter. The measures follow other government actions aimed at strengthening control over AI and related technology. Regulators ordered the reversal of Meta’s roughly $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an AI startup that began in China and later relocated abroad. Beijing has also pushed domestic firms to reduce reliance on U.S.-made AI chips and to adopt local alternatives from companies such as Huawei. U.S. officials have flagged DeepSeek as a potential national security concern.

Officials and industry observers point to technology leakage and talent movement as reasons for the new requirement. Chinese authorities have also encouraged some researchers and engineers to return to the mainland with higher pay, research posts and academic appointments. Recent publicized returns include a semiconductor researcher linked to work on advanced wafer fabs and an Oxford-trained AI chip researcher who joined a Chinese university.

Joshua Chu, a lawyer and lecturer who co-chairs the Hong Kong Web3 Association, described passports and conference schedules as “national security variables” for frontier AI and semiconductor researchers. He said the policy blurs the line between private firms and state oversight and complicates the narrative of talent returning to China.

Questions remain about enforcement and company compliance. Some firms may already require staff to notify management of travel. The new rule appears to formalize notification for a targeted group and make state approval a precondition for overseas travel. Companies named in reporting have not disclosed internal lists or how many employees are affected.

Beijing has not published formal guidance on the criteria, approval process or penalties for noncompliance. Observers say the policy’s practical effects will become clearer only after authorities issue approvals or denials or take enforcement actions that are made public.