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Chinese AI Models Overtake US Counterparts in Global Usage, Led by Domestic Players Like MiniMax
According to the latest data from the AI hosting platform OpenRouter, the global AI market saw a significant competitive shift in February. For the first time, Chinese open-source models, led by MiniMax, Moonshot AI, Zhipu, and DeepSeek, collectively surpassed their U.S. counterparts in global Token usage.
OpenRouter, a key barometer for global AI development activity, aggregates data from various large models, including those from Google, Anthropic, and top Chinese firms. The figures reveal that between February 9 and 15, weekly calls for Chinese models hit 4.12 trillion Tokens, exceeding the 2.94 trillion Tokens for American models. In the subsequent week, the lead for Chinese models widened further, reaching 5.16 trillion Tokens—a 127% increase over three weeks—while usage of American models declined.
In the detailed February rankings, Chinese large models delivered outstanding performances:
First Place: The newly launched MiniMax M2.5 model, available for just two weeks, claimed the top spot with 4.55 trillion Tokens in call volume. Its programming and search capabilities are now competitive with the flagship products from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Second Place: Moonshot AI's Kimi K2.5 model secured the runner-up position with 4.02 trillion Tokens.
Top Five: Chinese companies held three of the top five positions (MiniMax, Moonshot AI, DeepSeek), together capturing nearly two-thirds of the traffic share within this elite group.
Analysts note that this surge in growth stems from concerted efforts by domestic manufacturers around the Lunar New Year period. The release of models like Kimi K2.5 is seen as narrowing the AI R&D technology gap between China and the U.S. to its smallest margin yet. Concurrently, China's enterprise market experienced robust growth, with daily Token usage by Chinese companies surging 263% in the second half of 2025 compared to the first half, highlighting the deep potential for AI application and adoption.
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According to the latest data from the AI hosting platform OpenRouter, the global AI market saw a significant competitive shift in February. For the first time, Chinese open-source models, led by MiniMax, Moonshot AI, Zhipu, and DeepSeek, collectively surpassed their U.S. counterparts in global Token usage.
OpenRouter, a key barometer for global AI development activity, aggregates data from various large models, including those from Google, Anthropic, and top Chinese firms. The figures reveal that between February 9 and 15, weekly calls for Chinese models hit 4.12 trillion Tokens, exceeding the 2.94 trillion Tokens for American models. In the subsequent week, the lead for Chinese models widened further, reaching 5.16 trillion Tokens—a 127% increase over three weeks—while usage of American models declined.
In the detailed February rankings, Chinese large models delivered outstanding performances:
First Place: The newly launched MiniMax M2.5 model, available for just two weeks, claimed the top spot with 4.55 trillion Tokens in call volume. Its programming and search capabilities are now competitive with the flagship products from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Second Place: Moonshot AI's Kimi K2.5 model secured the runner-up position with 4.02 trillion Tokens.
Top Five: Chinese companies held three of the top five positions (MiniMax, Moonshot AI, DeepSeek), together capturing nearly two-thirds of the traffic share within this elite group.
Analysts note that this surge in growth stems from concerted efforts by domestic manufacturers around the Lunar New Year period. The release of models like Kimi K2.5 is seen as narrowing the AI R&D technology gap between China and the U.S. to its smallest margin yet. Concurrently, China's enterprise market experienced robust growth, with daily Token usage by Chinese companies surging 263% in the second half of 2025 compared to the first half, highlighting the deep potential for AI application and adoption.
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