China proposes export controls on 40 AI, biotech and solar technologies

The proposed catalogue revision covers 40 technologies across artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaics, and proposes prohibiting 14 technologies.[1][2] Its AI section covers 23 technologies related to large models, agents, computing clusters and information processing.[1] The biomedicine section covers five technologies related to cell and gene therapy, small nucleic-acid drugs and pathogenic microorganisms.[1] The photovoltaic section covers 12 technologies related to polysilicon, silicon-wafer and cell manufacturing.[1] These figures describe the draft’s technology areas; they do not establish that every product made with those technologies would be controlled.[2]

Examples of proposed controls include AI-driven technology for generating or mutating malicious code and AI-assisted vulnerability-mining technology.[2] The biomedicine proposals include cell- and gene-therapy process platforms and methods for discovering and validating new general-purpose therapy targets, where the intellectual property is independently owned.[2] Solar-related examples include production technology for perovskite and tandem-cell modules, as well as polysilicon engineering technology for single production lines with annual capacity of at least 30,000 tonnes.[2] The draft says technologies already public through open-source releases or academic papers would not be subject to management.[1]

The ministries said the draft would be open for public comments from October 16 through November 15, 2026.[1] From the notice date until the revised catalogue takes effect, operators exporting listed technologies must meet a temporary registration requirement; the requirement also covers exports that had begun but were not completed.[1] The notice identifies overseas transfers of technology ownership, including intellectual-property transfers, domestic technology licensed for overseas use, and changes in ownership or actual control to an overseas entity.[1] The evidence does not specify the registration process or the revised catalogue’s effective date.

The ministry’s spokesperson described the proposed revision as routine technology-trade management and said it did not target any particular country, region or entity.[2] The ministry said it considered domestic and international industry conditions and heard views from major companies.[2] It also said most technologies proposed for control have specific technical indicators, while products made using those technologies are generally outside the controls.[2] China said it would dynamically adjust the catalogue and remove technologies that are no longer advanced or have become outdated.[2] Certain overseas licensing arrangements that do not transfer ownership may qualify for facilitation measures, including automatic licensing.[1]