An illustration of using AI applications on a mobile phone. Photo: VCG
China’s tech companies have ramped up efforts in AI exploration, launching a growing number of new models following DeepSeek’s R1 release earlier this year.
Baidu launched its latest foundation models — ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 — on Sunday, highlighting the intensifying AI contest in China.
ERNIE 4.5 is Baidu’s latest self-developed multimodal model, according to the information the company provided to the Global Times on Sunday.
It achieves collaborative optimization through joint modeling of multiple modalities, demonstrating exceptional multimodal comprehension capabilities. With refined language skills, it exhibits comprehensive improvements in understanding, generation, reasoning and memory, along with notable enhancements in hallucination prevention, logical reasoning, and coding abilities.
ERNIE X1 possesses enhanced capabilities in understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution. As the first multimodal deep-thinking reasoning model capable of tool use, X1 also excels in Chinese knowledge Q&A, literary creation, manuscript writing, dialogue, logical reasoning, and complex calculations.
As a deep-thinking model, ERNIE X1 could rival DeepSeek R1’s performance at half the cost, according to the company.
ERNIE 4.5 is the company’s latest foundation model and native multimodal model, with input and output prices starting as low as 0.004 yuan ($0.00055) per thousand tokens and 0.016 yuan per thousand tokens.
Another Chinese tech giant, Tencent, introduced Hunyuan Turbo S on February 27, Tencent said on WeChat.
This model provides near-instant responses, doubling text output speed and reducing initial delay by 44 percent.
Lately, breakthroughs flourish in mature industry ecosystems. China has introduced policies to support and regulate AI growth, with the country’s 2025 Government Work Report emphasizing large AI model adoption.
“Under the AI Plus initiative, we aim to integrate AI with China’s manufacturing and market advantages. We will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots,” the report said.
Meanwhile, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Zhejiang are all building AI industry hubs.
Shanghai plans to strengthen AI development with an open and collaborative innovation framework, the 21st Century Business Herald reported. At the 2025 Global Developer Conference, Shanghai is committed to expanding AI cooperation, fostering open-source development, and promoting innovation and data-sharing, the newspaper said.
South China’s Guangdong Province rolled out 12 AI and robotics related policies to accelerate industrial digitalization, Nanfang Daily reported on Tuesday. Under the new policy, Guangdong will fund up to 10 AI and robotics projects annually, offering subsidies of up to 8 million yuan per project.
China’s AI sector is projected to reach 811 billion yuan in output value by 2028, according to a report from iResearch.
AI and robotics are set to drive major market expansion. 2025 marks a pivotal year for AI innovation. With the launch of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1, Baidu said that it will invest further in AI, data centers, and cloud infrastructure to refine its AI models and build more advanced next-generation intelligent systems.
Global Times
