China’s Blockade Goes Crazy, Xi Jinping Strictly Bans Western-Made Apps
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia –The Chinese government has officially banned the use of OpenClaw software within local government agencies and state-owned enterprises. This was revealed by a Bloomberg News report, based on information from several sources familiar with the matter.
In recent days, government agencies and state-owned enterprises, including major banks in China, have received notices warning them not to install OpenClaw software on their office devices, citing national security concerns.
For your information, OpenClaw is an artificial intelligence (AI) agent founded by Peter Steinberger, an Austrian entrepreneur. On February 14, 2026, Steinberger announced his merger with OpenAI to bring advanced AI agents to everyone.
In the announcement, he stated that OpenClaw would remain an independent company.
OpenClaw went viral for providing open-source AI designed to perform real-world tasks, not just respond to text based on user commands or prompts.
With its advanced capabilities, OpenClaw effectively allows one person to do the work of several people at once. This characteristic has given rise to a phenomenon termed “one-person companies.”
Previously, local governments in several Chinese technology and manufacturing hubs have announced steps to build industries around OpenClaw, despite regulators warning of security risks associated with its access to personal data.
Since its launch in November 2025, OpenClaw has become one of the fastest-growing projects in the history of GitHub, the world’s most widely adopted AI developer platform.
OpenClaw’s innovation is said to be the reason OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hired Steinberger to build the next generation of AI agents.
OpenClaw’s popularity has been fastest in China due to the country’s tendency to adopt cutting-edge technology quickly. Tech giant Tencent even held a special OpenClaw session in Shenzhen recently, drawing enthusiastic attendees from children, retirees, and developers.
Local Government Supports OpenClaw
Shenzhen’s Longgang District, which established China’s first AI and robotics bureau last year, released a draft of concrete measures in early March to build an AI ecosystem centered on OpenClaw and support “one-person enterprises.” They cited a recent central government report supporting future industries such as humanoid robots.
The high-tech development areas of Wuxi and Hefei in the east of the country, along with a city in the eastern manufacturing hub of Suzhou, have all issued similar draft measures, focusing on OpenClaw, in recent days.
OpenClaw’s growing popularity and its “one-man company” status have been highlighted at the National People’s Congress (NPC).
Zhang Xiaohong, a member of the Jiangsu provincial NPC delegation and Communist Party secretary of Soochow University, told Reuters that campus initiatives such as a competition to see which student could create the best “one-person company” had promoted practical AI skills.
However, regulators and state media have highlighted security concerns surrounding the agency. The central government has underscored Beijing’s long-standing unease about cyber risks and data breaches.
Wuxi regulations stipulate that cloud platforms providing OpenClaw must prohibit access to sensitive data directories and must consider establishing an AI compliance service center focused on issues such as cross-border data transfers and intellectual property protection.
Amidst high enthusiasm, the central government’s decision to ban OpenClaw within government agencies and state-owned enterprises again demonstrates China’s consistent suspicion of Western-made applications, particularly from a privacy and national security perspective.
SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA
