July 21 (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are considering

tightening export controls on AI and semiconductor technologies,

the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

The step reflects Beijing's push to keep domestic AI at home

and show that China, like the U.S., now sees advanced AI as a

critical national asset requiring controls.

Earlier this month, Reuters had exclusively reported that

Chinese authorities had earlier held meetings ​with top tech

firms about potentially restricting overseas access to China's

most advanced AI models, including those yet to be released.

Regulators led by China's Ministry of Commerce have been

consulting top homegrown AI and chipmaking companies on how to

stop China's advanced technologies and leading start-ups from

being acquired by the west, the report said, citing two people

involved in the discussions.

The Commerce Ministry, which oversees export regulations,

has also spoken with AI companies including Alibaba ( BABA ),

ByteDance and Zhipu on limiting the transfer of key data for the

training of their models overseas, as well as allowing their

model weights to be downloaded by foreign users, the newspaper

said.

It has also sought views on possible restrictions that would

prevent overseas chipmakers including Qualcomm ( QCOM ) and

TSMC from producing advanced semiconductors based on

designs developed by Chinese companies such as Huawei, Alibaba ( BABA )

and ByteDance, FT reported.

The new measures could be included into the next revision of

China's catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from

export, the report said, adding that these proposals are under

consideration and regulators are weighing industry feedback

before making a final call.

Potential restrictions could also be imposed on the overseas

acquisition of strategic technology in areas such as agentic AI,

FT said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The

Commerce Ministry, ByteDance, Alibaba ( BABA ), Zhipu, Huawei, Qualcomm ( QCOM )

and TSMC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.