China is retaining its top artificial intelligence experts within the country
Borders are closing rapidly for China's leading artificial intelligence (AI) researchers. Major researchers, startup founders, and private company executives in the field are now required to obtain government approval before traveling abroad. These restrictions signal a shift in Beijing's strategy for managing talent flow in the AI sector. At a time when the global tech industry's demand for training and refining AI models is surging, China is protecting its talent as an economic asset and a national security priority. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .
The situation intensified particularly after the deal between Manus and Meta. As Chinese regulators investigate whether Meta's $2 billion acquisition of the AI startup violates foreign investment rules, Manus founders have been barred from leaving the country. According to reports, the company's founders are currently seeking ways to buy back the company from the social media giant by raising around $1 billion from external investors to comply with Beijing's demands and cancel the deal.
The AI race between East and West has become closer than ever. According to the Stanford University index, the performance gap between the best models from the US and China narrowed from 31 percent in 2023 to just 2.7 percent by March 2026. While the US still leads in model quality and high-level patents, China is overtaking American laboratories in the volume of scientific publications, citations, and patents.
Beyond travel restrictions, China is also controlling the influx of US capital into its leading AI firms such as Moonshot AI, StepFun, and ByteDance. These companies must now obtain government permission before accepting American investments. These measures are being implemented against the backdrop of Beijing restricting exports of rare earth elements critical for high-tech military production and banning the use of foreign AI chips in state data centers.
