How Should China Respond To Trump? Ask DeepSek

DeepSek is claimed to be comparable to the leading model in the US, (photo: x @reachvaldo ·)

JAKARTA From political to private questions, internet users in China have tested DeepSeek artificial intelligence applications to ask various questions, including how Beijing should respond to the US President Donald Trump's import rate policy.

The launch of this revolutionary AI service from DeepSee coincides with Chinese New Year celebrations, giving millions of Chinese users the opportunity during the holidays to try out the analytic and predictive capabilities of the platform that is now a national pride.

A professor of law at the City University of Hong Kong, Wang Jiangyu, who has a large following on Weibo, tested the model by asking how China should react to Trump's decision to impose a 10% tariff on goods from China.

DeepSek provides answers consisting of seven points, including various policy options that Beijing can take. Some of them are applying new rates to industries in states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, providing tax incentives for domestic industries, to setting technical standards for charging electric vehicles that will create major barriers to US companies.

However, until now, there is no indication that policymakers in China are considering these options.

"His thinking is comprehensive, basically pragmatic, and relevant," Wang said of DeepSek.

This detailed answer is in contrast to how DeepSek censored other questions related to politics in China. Simple questions such as "Who is Xi Jinping?" or about pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen in 1989, for example, answered with a topic diversion: "Let's talk about other things."

DeepSek's Economic Impact And Popularity

Chen Zhihao, a well-known commentator on the stock market, asked DeepSek to make predictions about Chinese stocks when the market reopened this week after the Lunar New Year holiday, particularly in Trump's new tariff context.

DeepSek provides a surprising prediction: Beijing can step up economic stimulus measures "to address external pressures" or introduce new policies to support the tech industry.

The launch of the latest AI model from DeepSek which is claimed to be comparable to the leading models in the US, but at a much lower cost, has rocked the tech sector in recent weeks.

Public attention to DeepSee also makes this Hangzhou-based startup and its founder, Liang Wengfeng, a new pop-culture celebrity in China.

Many social media users in China also use DeepSek for various things, ranging from predicting fate to looking for predictions about their married life. A user in the RedNote application claims that the AI is able to provide insight into his past life based on his dream. "DeepSeek can really read my dreams," wrote a user named Qiu Ranran.

This AI app has even surpassed ChatGPT as the most downloaded app on China's Apple App Store in the past week.

Global Challenges and Highlights

In a paper published last December, DeepSek claims to have trained the AI DeepSek-V3 model at a cost of less than $6 million, using the computing power of the Nvidia H800 chip. This claim has raised questions from some tech experts.

However, DeepSek's achievements have raised doubts about the massive investment the US tech giant has made in AI development.

In addition, authorities in several countries such as Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, and Ireland are now investigating how DeepSeeek uses its users' personal data.

DeepSek's success in attracting global attention also highlights the increasingly fierce competition in the artificial intelligence industry between China and the West.