China weighs export controls on AI models, data, and TSMC access

China's Ministry of Commerce is reportedly considering restrictions on exporting advanced AI models, training data, and overseas tech acquisitions. The proposed rules would also bar Chinese companies from using foreign semiconductor manufacturing services, including TSMC.

Why it matters: This would be China's answer to years of US chip export controls, turning the restriction into a two-way street and potentially cutting Chinese firms off from TSMC's leading-edge fabrication. Combined with the US's own threatened sanctions on Chinese AI models over alleged IP theft, it points to a fast-escalating tit-for-tat that could fragment the global AI supply chain further.