DeepSeek, a National Treasure in China, is Now Being Closely Guarded

DeepSeek’s sudden rise to global stardom has earned the startup a status akin to national treasure in China. One result is restrictions on how the company operates.

In recent weeks, company executives have forbidden some of DeepSeek’s employees involved in the research and development of artificial intelligence models from traveling abroad freely, according to three people familiar with the company. Meanwhile, the government of eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, where DeepSeek’s parent company is headquartered, has begun screening any potential investors before they are allowed to meet in person with company leaders, according to two other people with knowledge of the situation.