China extends overseas travel approval to families of leading AI specialists

China has announced that close relatives of prominent AI and semiconductor leaders in the private sector must receive state approval before traveling overseas, adding spouses and children to the existing list of restricted personnel. The measure expands earlier curbs that already limited foreign trips for senior AI figures at firms like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and DeepSeek. Government departments have started informing several individuals of the new requirement, though the exact scope for all families remains uncertain.

The policy aligns with broader efforts to prevent the leakage of critical technology and information to the United States, a concern sharpened after Meta Platforms Inc.'s aborted $2 billion acquisition of Manus. Separate exit-ban rules, effective from September 15, already cover cases involving criminal investigations or potential breaches of industrial security. Officials say the expanded list will be updated over time as more talent is identified as strategically important.