The Pulse
MiniMax Confirms Export Registration; CCTV-Affiliated Account Reports DeepSeek Claim
MiniMax said in an October 23 exchange filing that it completed technology-export registration for certain models, while Yuyuantantian reported that DeepSeek had also completed registration procedures. Chinese ministries have published a dr
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
Two different levels of confirmation
MiniMax said it had completed technology-export registration for certain models, while a CCTV-affiliated account reported that DeepSeek had also completed registration procedures.
In a voluntary announcement dated October 23, MiniMax said it completed Ministry of Commerce registration procedures for the open-source release and overseas licensing of “certain recently released and upcoming models.” The company did not identify the models. Its statement cited Announcement No. 48 of 2026, issued by China’s commerce and science ministries.
On October 23, Yuyuantantian, a CCTV-affiliated account, reported that both companies had completed registration procedures. The account’s report said:
“谭主了解到，政策公布以来，DeepSeek、MiniMax两家头部企业已顺利履行登记手续，并完成开源和海外授权使用。”
Yuyuantantian, a CCTV-affiliated account, in a report published by Sina News.
The report identifies no individual model, licensee, contract or commercial terms. MiniMax’s separate exchange filing dated October 23 confirms its own registration statement; it does not independently confirm the claim about DeepSeek.
Temporary registration as ministries consult on a draft
On October 16, China’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology published a draft revision to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted From Export and opened it for public comment. The proposal covers 40 technologies across artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaics. Its 23 AI entries include large models, agents, computing clusters and information processing. The consultation period runs through November 15, 2026.
The ministries’ notice also introduced temporary registration before exports of listed technologies. The measure applies from publication of the notice until the revised catalog is formally implemented. The specified situations include transferring technology ownership to a foreign party, licensing domestic technology for overseas use, and changing the owner or actual controller of domestic technology to a foreign entity.
A separate Commerce Ministry explanation addresses how proposed AI controls would treat services and overseas deployment. It says overseas local deployment of a restricted model falls within export-management scope. By contrast, API access, app or web interactions, SaaS services and lightweight on-device deployment are outside the stated scope of large-model technology export management.
The ministry also describes automatic licensing for specified cases, including AI technology exports for open-source releases and Chinese companies’ self-operated computing centers overseas. The draft proposes excluding technology already in the public domain through open-source releases or academic papers from export management. These provisions sit alongside the consultation draft; the ministries have not yet issued the final revised catalog.
What the filings do—and do not—establish
MiniMax’s statement establishes that the company says it completed registration for some released and upcoming models. It does not disclose which models are covered or identify overseas licensing arrangements. The Yuyuantantian report says DeepSeek reached a similar milestone, but the cited ministry notice and MiniMax filing do not verify DeepSeek’s status.
The distinction also keeps the reported registrations separate from a blanket authorization for all models or overseas transactions. The ministries’ notice sets out the temporary registration process and the consultation timetable; the Commerce Ministry’s explanation describes service carve-outs and licensing measures. The final catalog and its implementing rules will determine how the proposed controls apply to particular technologies and transactions.