China has introduced new regulations on outbound investment that suggest it increasingly views technology, talent and capital as strategic assets that require state oversight even after crossing national borders, a shift that could complicate South Korea’s efforts to expand global technology partnerships crucial for its AI ambitions.

Signed by Premier Li Qiang and scheduled to take effect on July 1, the regulation establishes China’s first comprehensive legal framework governing outbound investment.

The document covers investor protection, overseas services, dispute resolution and international cooperation, while repeatedly invoking concerns about national security.

Together, those provisions offer a window into how Chinese policymakers