TMTPOST -- China’s state weather agency, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), is exploring the use of DeepSeek, the local AI startup whose model made waves in global markets last month, to enhance its forecasts and observations. During a meeting on February 14, CMA officials, including chief engineer Pan Jinjun, discussed “promoting the in-depth integration and application of DeepSeek” and “continuously improving the AI meteorological model.” DeepSeek, developed by the quant hedge fund High-Flyer, has gained attention for its breakthrough AI model that offers a lower-cost alternative to those from global tech giants like OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc. However, some have raised doubts about the startup’s reported figures. High-Flyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China aims to become a "weather superpower" and close the technological gap with global leaders like the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Integrating AI into meteorological operations is viewed as a crucial step toward achieving this goal, according to long-term development plans laid out by key Chinese government bodies, including the State Council, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the CMA.