The debut of DeepSeek-R1, the latest large language model developed by Chinese AI company DeepSeek, has sent ripples through the global tech industry. With its cutting-edge advancements achieved at a fraction of the cost of its Western counterparts, the model has rapidly gained traction across multiple countries. However, its success has been met with resistance from certain factions within the United States, highlighting an ongoing pattern of technological containment under the pretext of national security. If Washington responds to DeepSeek’s rise with sanctions, export controls, or intellectual property disputes, such actions will not only impede broader AI progress but also weaken its own technological standing.

DeepSeek’s emergence underscores the inefficacy of the US government’s “small yard, high fence” policy-a containment strategy designed to monopolize critical technologies and slow China’s AI advancements. Since 2022, Washington has implemented strict export restrictions on Nvidia’s high-performance AI chips, aiming to curb China’s progress. However, rather than stalling innovation, these sanctions have had the opposite effect, pushing Chinese firms to develop alternative solutions. DeepSeek’s breakthrough, achieved despite limited access to high-end hardware, serves as proof that efforts to stifle technological growth often spur even greater ingenuity.

Economist Tyler Cowen has observed that while US-imposed chip restrictions have delayed China’s access to advanced semiconductor technology, they have also accelerated domestic research into more efficient AI models. This unintended consequence exposes the flawed logic behind technology embargoes-rather than crippling China’s AI sector, such measures are fostering greater self-reliance. If this trend continues, the long-term........

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