DeepSeek and MiniMax Win Approval for Global Use of AI Models

Chinese artificial intelligence developers DeepSeek and MiniMax have won state approval for global use of their AI models, according to a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV. The report, published on 23 October 2026, marks a significant moment in the contest over who sets the terms for powerful AI systems reaching users around the world.

The approval comes just a week after China proposed export controls on 23 AI technologies, including models, agents and computing clusters. The two moves together suggest a dual approach: tighter control over sensitive technology transfers, alongside a green light for selected open-source models to compete globally.

FAKTA

• DeepSeek and MiniMax won state approval for global use of their AI models, Reuters reported on 23 October 2026.
• The report cited a post on Thursday by Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV.
• Neither DeepSeek nor MiniMax immediately replied to requests for comment.
• China proposed export controls on 23 AI technologies on 16 October 2026, covering models, agents and computing clusters.
• China’s commerce ministry said most AI technologies would remain exportable, with simplified licensing for open-source technology exports.

DeepSeek MiniMax AI approval: what was reported

Reuters reported from Beijing that the approval was announced in a post on Thursday by Yuyuan Tantian, and that in a separate post on Friday the account said overseas internet users had also urged other Chinese open-source large language models to follow suit. The report did not name the specific models covered, and neither company immediately commented.

The timing is striking. DeepSeek had attracted major new funding days earlier, and United States federal agencies had been ordered to remove its products, according to contemporaneous reporting. The approval therefore arrives as Chinese labs face both restriction abroad and support at home.

Export controls and open source

China’s proposed export controls, announced on 16 October, cover overseas deployment of AI models containing restricted technology. Beijing presented the move as protecting tools it views as vital to national security amid geopolitical competition with Washington.

At the same time, the commerce ministry said most AI technologies would remain exportable, with simplified licensing for open-source technology exports and for Chinese companies operating their own computing centres overseas. That distinction matters: open-source models spread through developer communities, and simplified licensing could help approved models reach global users faster.

Why open-source approval matters

Open-source models can be downloaded, studied and adapted by developers worldwide. Approval for global use signals that Beijing wants its leading open models to be part of that ecosystem, rather than confined to domestic use, even as it guards the underlying technologies it considers sensitive.

Safety work in parallel

On the same day, OpenAI said it would collaborate with Poland’s NASK National Research Institute on AI safety, security and technical research, as incidents of rogue behaviour by AI agents put safety in the spotlight. The agreement will explore ways to evaluate increasingly capable systems, identify vulnerabilities and strengthen safeguards, and reflects a wider push for international technical standards for frontier AI systems.

Related Articles

DeepSeek’s 15 billion dollar fundraising
United States DeepSeek government ban
DeepSeek MiniMax AI approval (this story on Watan News)

Conclusion

The DeepSeek and MiniMax approval is a narrowly reported but consequential signal: China is drawing a line between technologies it will control and open models it will let compete globally. How developers, regulators and rival labs respond will shape the next phase of the global AI race.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies won approval?
DeepSeek and MiniMax, two major Chinese AI developers, according to Reuters, citing a CCTV-affiliated social media account.

What does the approval cover?
State approval for global use of their AI models. The report did not specify individual model versions.

How does this relate to China’s export controls?
China proposed controls on 23 AI technologies on 16 October, but its commerce ministry said most AI technologies would remain exportable, with simplified licensing for open-source exports.

Did the companies comment?
No. Reuters reported that DeepSeek and MiniMax did not immediately reply to requests for comment.