China clears DeepSeek and MiniMax to offer models globally under new export rules
MiniMax
On October 23, 2026, the CCTV-affiliated account Yuyuan Tantian reported that DeepSeek and MiniMax had been cleared to make their models available globally, the first such clearances since Beijing proposed export controls on 23 AI technologies on October 16. MiniMax said it had completed Commerce Ministry technology export registration covering both recently released and expected models. No regulator was named and the approvals' legal scope was left unspecified.
Why it matters
It signals how Beijing's export-control regime will treat open-weight releases, the main channel Chinese labs use to reach global developers.
Importance: 3/5
first clearances under China's AI export-control regime