Reference News Network, February 14 report: On February 10, the U.S. cable news network CNN website published an article titled "China's Artificial Intelligence Industry Looks Unstoppable in the Race to Defeat American Competitors," authored by John Liu. The following is a translation of the article:

Under the combined influence of restricted access to high-performance chips and unique domestic technological ecosystems, China's artificial intelligence (AI) industry has taken a different development path from the United States — open source.

The Chinese government and AI developers view this strategy as a way to accelerate industrial development and compete with American rivals. Companies are actively launching AI applications based on these models. Various industries are integrating AI technology into manufacturing, e-commerce, and robotics.

For example, Qwen replaced the Llama large language model of the U.S. Metaverse platform company in September last year and became the most downloaded open-source model on the "Hugging Face" platform.

An unprecedented wave of Chinese AI companies going public has emerged in the Hong Kong market. In January this year, the unicorn startup Beijing Zhipu Huazhang Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhipu) and Shanghai Xi Yu Technology Co., Ltd. (Xi Yu) were listed in Hong Kong.

A year ago, DeepSeek released an open-source model that has become a benchmark in China's AI boom due to its "low energy consumption and high performance."

Since then, Chinese AI laboratories have joined the tide of open-source models, while their American counterparts mostly did not adopt this model to protect intellectual property.

According to a study by Open Router company at the end of 2025, the global usage rate of China's open-source models has surged from 1.2% at the end of 2024 to nearly 30% last year.

Li Jian Su, chief analyst at British Omdia, said: "In a way, open source has become an industry consensus in China."

This strategy not only reduces costs but also reduces the geopolitical risks faced by Chinese companies.

Closed models developed by major U.S. companies still lead in various performance standards. However, experts warn not to underestimate China's long-term prospects for AI development.

Deepika Giri, head of AI research at International Data Corporation, said that Chinese companies excel in rapidly deploying consumer-facing applications and introducing AI into industry applications.

She said: "Perhaps their large models are not the best in the world, but these models are integrated into industries, so the progress of AI in the industry is very rapid."

The Chinese government also focuses on AI applications. The government recently announced an action plan to deepen the application of AI in manufacturing.

From open-source models to real-world applications, China has shown that foreign restrictions have not prevented China from making progress in the field of artificial intelligence.

Yao Shunyu, chief AI scientist at Tencent, said that China has repeatedly proven its ability to "catch up very quickly" with Western technological developments and even "do better" in certain areas, with China's strong manufacturing industry being a prime example. (Translation/Pan Xiaoyan)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7606676711295468051/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.