China reports a surge in AI adoption and large language model use
Embodied AI is moving toward large-scale commercial deployment.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said China’s AI sector has experienced ‘explosive growth’, citing significant performance improvements across multiple Chinese large language models.
Speaking at the opening plenary of the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, Li said daily token consumption across Chinese large language models had exceeded 100 trillion by the end of May, placing China among the world’s leading AI markets by usage.
Li also pointed to advances in embodied AI, saying the technology is beginning to move towards large-scale commercial deployment. The remarks came at the forum commonly known as Summer Davos, an annual gathering held in China focused on global economic and technological trends.
Li did not announce new policy measures or provide additional supporting data. His remarks nevertheless reinforce China’s broader narrative of rapid progress in AI model development and commercial deployment.
Why does it matter?
China’s remarks underscore the growing importance of AI as a strategic driver of economic competitiveness and technological leadership. Claims of daily token consumption exceeding 100 trillion suggest that large language models are being deployed at a significant scale, although the figures were presented by the Chinese government and were not independently verified.
The announcement also reflects intensifying global competition in AI. By highlighting advances in foundation models and embodied AI at a high-profile international forum, China is signalling its ambition to compete with other leading AI economies while showcasing progress in both AI research and commercial applications.
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