AI Visibility in China: what the Chinese AI platforms are and how to be visible on them
Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the main tools Chinese consumers use to look for information, compare products, evaluate companies and get recommendations.
China is today one of the most dynamic markets in the world for the development and use of generative AI. According to data from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), by December 2025 Chinese users of generative AI services had reached 602 million, equal to 42.8% of the country's internet users. That figure represents growth of 141.7% compared with the end of 2024.
This is an extremely fast pace of growth, driven by the presence of major Chinese tech groups and by an already highly developed digital ecosystem.
Some more recent market estimates and analyses also point to a possible further increase in the Chinese AI user base well beyond the current 600 million, in a market where adoption keeps accelerating.
Chinese AI is not, however, a purely domestic phenomenon.
The international success of models such as DeepSeek has shown how quickly technologies developed in China can reach users outside the country as well. DeepSeek, in particular, has become one of the Chinese AI tools with the widest international reach.
For Italian companies interested in the Chinese market, this scenario opens up a new opportunity: being present not only in search engines, on social media and on Chinese digital platforms, but also in the answers generated by artificial intelligence.
The question then becomes:
When a Chinese consumer asks an AI which company, product or destination to choose, is your brand mentioned?
Summary:
The rise of Chinese artificial intelligence
In recent years China has accelerated enormously in the development of generative artificial intelligence.
The country's major tech groups have developed proprietary models and are integrating them into the digital ecosystems that millions of people use every day.
DeepSeek, Qwen, Yuanbao, Ernie, Doubao and Kimi are among the best known examples.
On top of these, new AI features are being built directly into Chinese digital platforms, such as the ones linked to RED (Xiaohongshu).
This integration is precisely the most interesting feature of the Chinese market.
Artificial intelligence does not necessarily live inside a separate application: it can progressively enter the tools users already rely on to search for information, buy products, communicate, watch content and plan trips.
For an Italian company looking to grow its business in China, this means that AI represents a new touchpoint within an already extremely advanced digital ecosystem.
This is not about replacing the activities already carried out on Baidu, Xiaohongshu, WeChat, Douyin or ecommerce platforms.
On the contrary, AI adds itself to these tools and opens up a new space for visibility.
Why AI is entering the Chinese customer journey
The Chinese consumer is already used to relying on digital tools during virtually every stage of the purchase process.
Before buying a product or booking a service, they might:
search for information online;
watch videos;
read reviews;
compare alternatives;
ask the community for advice;
consult influencers;
check prices and availability;
use artificial intelligence tools.
AI is therefore entering mainly at the research and evaluation stage.
Take, for example, a Chinese tourist interested in a trip to Italy.
They might start by looking for inspiration on RED, explore a few destinations, ask an AI assistant which hotels to choose, compare the alternatives and finally check availability and prices on the OTAs.
Along this path, being cited by an artificial intelligence means gaining a moment of attention exactly when the consumer is weighing up the alternatives.
The same principle applies to a great many Made in Italy sectors.
A consumer might ask:
"What are the best Italian contemporary furniture brands?"
or:
"Which Italian premium wine producers should I know about?"
or again:
"What are the best Italian sustainable fashion brands?"
The answer generated by the AI can therefore become a new point of contact between the brand and the potential customer.
The growth of generative AI in China: data and numbers
The numbers help explain how fast this shift is happening.
According to CNNIC, by December 2025 China had 602 million users of generative AI services, with penetration of 42.8% of the internet population. In a single year the user base grew by 141.7%.
Over the same period, China had 1.125 billion internet users, with penetration of 80.1%.
This means that almost half of China's internet users were already using generative AI tools by the end of 2025.
The growth has been particularly fast:
515 million users in June 2025;
602 million in December 2025;
+141.7% compared with the end of 2024.
The applications of AI are also very broad.
Users rely on these tools for:
Information search
Shopping and product evaluation
Travel
Professional activities
The spread of AI is therefore creating a new environment in which companies need to ask themselves not only where they are present, but also how they are being described by artificial intelligence.
From SEO to GEO: a new visibility opportunity
For years, companies have invested in SEO with one clear goal: improving their presence in search engine results.
SEO will continue to be essential.
The arrival of generative AI, however, introduces a new dimension: Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO.
GEO aims to improve the chances that a brand is recognized as relevant and authoritative when an artificial intelligence has to construct an answer.
A search engine normally presents a list of results for the user to choose from. A generative system, by contrast, can produce a single answer by synthesizing information from different sources.
For a company, this means it becomes important to build a digital presence solid and consistent enough for AI systems to understand:
who the brand is;
what it offers;
which sector it operates in;
what its strengths are;
which searches it can be relevant to;
how it differs from competitors.
GEO does not replace SEO. It completes it.
Why Italian brands need to work on their AI Visibility
For an Italian company interested in China, AI Visibility represents a new opportunity to strengthen its digital presence.
A brand can have a long history, excellent products, important certifications and a strong international reputation.
The point is to make sure this information is sufficiently present and consistent across the digital ecosystem so that it can also be recognized by AI systems.
Consider an Italian food company. A user might ask:
"Who are the best Italian producers of extra virgin olive oil?"
If the company is correctly associated with concepts such as quality, Made in Italy, premium production and specific product characteristics, the chances that it will be considered relevant to the request increase.
The same holds true for:
hotels and resorts;
tourist destinations;
luxury brands;
design companies;
fashion;
food and beverage;
automotive;
wellness;
premium products.
The goal is not simply to "appear." It is to build a digital identity clear and authoritative enough to be recognized by AI.
The main Chinese artificial intelligence platforms
The Chinese market offers a particularly rich ecosystem of AI models and platforms. Italian companies should be familiar with at least the seven main players.
DeepSeek (深度求索)
DeepSeek is one of the Chinese AI models that has gained the most international attention.
The platform has grown extremely fast and is used for information research, analysis, study, professional work and content generation.
Its relevance is not limited to the Chinese market. DeepSeek has in fact reached a significant international audience, showing how models developed in China can achieve global reach.
For Italian brands it therefore represents an important vantage point for understanding how they are described and associated with specific sectors.
Qwen (通义千问, Alibaba)
Qwen is the model developed by Alibaba.
Its importance also stems from the ecosystem it sits within: Alibaba controls some of China's leading commercial platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, and Qwen is also used within services such as Alipay.
The evolution of AI within this ecosystem could have significant implications for digital commerce.
For an Italian brand interested in Chinese ecommerce, becoming recognizable within the Alibaba universe therefore means looking not only at the marketplace itself, but also at the new ways users will search for and compare products.
Yuanbao (腾讯元宝, Tencent)
Yuanbao is the AI assistant developed by Tencent.
Tencent is one of the central players in China's digital ecosystem and controls WeChat, one of the most widely used platforms in the country.
Yuanbao's relevance therefore also comes from the ability to connect artificial intelligence to an ecosystem that spans communication, services, content and commerce.
For Italian companies, this is a further example of how AI and digital platforms are becoming increasingly integrated.
Ernie (文心一言, Baidu)
Baidu was for many years the main reference point for online search in China, and with more than 700 million monthly users it remains the country's largest search engine.
With Ernie, the group has built its own generative artificial intelligence infrastructure.
This shift matters in particular because it shows how traditional search engines and AI can progressively converge.
For a company investing in the Chinese market, Baidu therefore remains important not only for SEO, but also for understanding the evolution of AI powered search.
Doubao (豆包, ByteDance)
Doubao is the AI assistant developed by ByteDance, the group that owns Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. It has reached 300 million downloads and grown 400% over the past year.
Its development is particularly interesting because it connects AI with digital content. ByteDance has in fact built one of the most advanced ecosystems in the world for personalized content distribution.
AI can therefore become a further tool through which users discover information, products and services.
Kimi (月之暗面, Moonshot AI)
Kimi is the model developed by Moonshot AI, specialized in autonomously handling complex tasks in parallel and in consulting style research.
It is particularly valued for analyzing long documents and for professional work that requires multi step reasoning.
For Italian brands it represents a further vantage point, especially for technical, comparative and in depth content.
AskNow (点点, Xiaohongshu AI search, RED AI)
RED is a particularly important platform for sectors such as lifestyle, travel, beauty and luxury.
Millions of users rely on it to search for products, destinations, hotels, restaurants and experiences.
The introduction of AI features such as AskNow adds a new dimension to search within the platform.
For Italian brands this means that a presence on RED can become relevant not only from a content and influencer marketing perspective, but also as AI powered search continues to evolve.
How AI decides which brands to cite
When a user asks an AI system a question, the model has to construct an answer using the information available to it.
There is no single universal rule that determines which brand gets cited. Visibility can be influenced by several factors.
Quality of the available information
The information needs to let the model correctly understand the brand and what it does.
Authority of the sources
A presence on reliable, relevant sources can help build credibility.
Consistency of the information
The brand needs to be described consistently across different digital channels.
Volume and continuity of content
A structured digital presence gives AI systems a broader set of information to understand the company.
Semantic associations
A brand needs to be correctly associated with the concepts, products and categories it wants to be recognized for.
GEO, then, is about working on the information ecosystem that surrounds the brand. It does not mean "writing to trick an AI," but building a digital presence that is clear, consistent and authoritative.
China AI Visibility: the solution developed by CDM
To respond to this new opportunity, China Digital Marketing, an Italian agency with an operational base in Shanghai specialized in digital marketing for China, has developed China AI Visibility, a solution dedicated to Italian companies that want to analyze and improve their presence on the leading Chinese AI platforms.
The service grows out of CDM's experience in the Chinese digital ecosystem and the work of its IT Research and Development team based in Shanghai, led by Jin Wang, Head of Research.
The proprietary technology can analyze how the leading Chinese AI platforms currently describe:
the brand;
the products;
the services;
the positioning;
the competitors.
The analysis also identifies opportunities for improvement and the most relevant digital sources. The goal is to turn AI visibility analysis into a concrete marketing and communication activity.
The China AI Visibility service starts at investments under 5,000 euros, with projects tailored to the objectives, the sector and the desired level of visibility: an investment accessible even to Italian SMEs. Activities are further strengthened through collaborations with Key Opinion Consumers (KOC) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOL), selected by a dedicated China Influencer Specialist.
How the Generative Engine Optimization process works
1. Initial AI visibility analysis
The first step is to analyze how the leading Chinese AI platforms currently see the brand. CDM simulates the searches and questions a potential Chinese customer might make.
The goal is to understand:
• is the brand cited?
• how is it described?
• which competitors are suggested?
• what information is associated with the company?
• what opportunities for improvement emerge?
This stage produces an initial snapshot of the brand's China AI Visibility.
2. Defining the strategy
After the initial analysis, CDM works together with the company's team to define the strategic keywords and the messages the brand wants to bring forward. Coordination with the client's team is essential.
The goal is in fact to maintain full consistency with:
• brand positioning;
• company values;
• brand guidelines;
• products and services;
• strategic messaging.
This is not simply about producing content, but about building a communication direction consistent with the company's positioning.
3. GEO operational plan
Once the strategy has been defined, CDM develops an operational plan aimed at strengthening the information available on the sources that matter to AI models, producing and distributing at least 150 pieces of content across the sources these models consult.
The plan can include:
editorial content;
digital publications;
optimization of online information;
digital PR activities;
content specific to the Chinese market.
The goal is to create a content ecosystem that is consistent, authoritative and useful for strengthening brand recognition.
4. Monitoring and final report
AI visibility needs to be monitored over time. CDM tracks how the brand's presence evolves on the leading AI platforms and checks how the answers to strategic queries change.
Monitoring makes it possible to identify:
improvements in visibility;
new opportunities;
any issues;
new keywords;
how positioning evolves relative to competitors.
The project concludes with dedicated reporting on results and development opportunities.
Why GEO needs a local team in China
GEO requires deep knowledge of the sources Chinese AI models consult, of Mandarin language dynamics, and of local digital platforms. An approach managed exclusively from Europe cannot pick up on the cultural and technical nuances required.
China Digital Marketing operates with a trilingual team and a direct presence in Shanghai, where CEO Davide and the R&D team led by Jin Wang develop and update the software behind the service. This combination of Italian expertise and local presence is what sets an effective intervention apart from a generic attempt.
The future of digital marketing toward China
The growth of artificial intelligence does not mean SEO, advertising, social media, influencer marketing or marketplaces will become less important.
Quite the opposite. Companies that want to build a strong presence in China will increasingly need to work on an integrated ecosystem.
Visibility will be able to develop simultaneously through:
search engines;
RED;
Douyin;
WeChat;
marketplaces;
influencers and KOL/KOC;
digital PR;
advertising;
artificial intelligence.
GEO therefore represents a new piece of the digital strategy for China.
For Italian SMEs this can become a particularly interesting opportunity. There is no need to wait for AI to become the primary search channel.
Companies can start today by monitoring how they are already perceived by AI platforms and progressively building their own AI Visibility.
Conclusions
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an integral part of China's digital ecosystem.
With more than 600 million generative AI users already recorded by the end of 2025, China is one of the most advanced markets for the adoption and use of these technologies.
For Italian brands looking to enter or grow in the Chinese market, a new opportunity therefore emerges: being recognized by artificial intelligence as authoritative and relevant players in their sector.
The question every company should start asking itself is simple:
If a Chinese consumer asked an AI for advice in my sector tomorrow, would my brand be mentioned?
The answer to this question can serve as a new indicator of your digital presence in China.
China Digital Marketing, through its Italian Chinese team and the technology developed by its Research and Development team based in Shanghai, supports Italian companies in analyzing and building their China AI Visibility.
Digital visibility in China will continue to be built across many channels.
Now there is a new one to stake a claim on: the answers given by artificial intelligence.
Executive summary
Generative artificial intelligence is growing rapidly in China. By December 2025, Chinese users of generative AI services had reached 602 million, equal to 42.8% of the country's internet users.
Models such as DeepSeek, Qwen, Yuanbao, Ernie, Doubao and Kimi are becoming part of China's digital ecosystem, while AI features such as AskNow are being built directly into the platforms users already rely on.
For Italian companies, a new marketing opportunity emerges: AI Visibility, meaning the ability to be recognized, cited and considered by artificial intelligence when users search for information about their sector.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) makes it possible to work strategically on this new layer of visibility, integrating it with SEO, social media, advertising, PR and other digital marketing activities. China Digital Marketing offers a dedicated service, China AI Visibility, with projects starting at investments under 5,000 euros and a dedicated team in Shanghai.
Key takeaways
China is one of the most dynamic markets in the world for the development and use of generative AI.
By the end of 2025, China had 602 million generative AI users.
DeepSeek has shown that Chinese AI models can also reach an international audience.
Qwen, Yuanbao, Ernie, Doubao and Kimi are among the main players in China's AI ecosystem.
RED is integrating new AI powered search features, such as AskNow.
GEO does not replace SEO: it completes it.
AI Visibility, SEO, social media and advertising should be treated as parts of one integrated digital strategy.
A local team in Shanghai is essential for capturing the linguistic and cultural nuances of GEO.
Italian companies can start by analyzing how they are currently described by the leading Chinese AI platforms.
Definitions of technical terms
AI Visibility: the ability of a brand to be recognized, cited and considered relevant by artificial intelligence.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): the set of activities aimed at improving a brand's presence and recognizability in the answers generated by AI systems.
Generative AI: technology capable of generating content and answers based on the information processed by the model.
Large Language Model (LLM): an artificial intelligence model trained on large amounts of data and designed to understand and generate natural language.
Customer Journey: the path a consumer follows from discovering a product or service through to evaluation and eventual purchase.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): the set of activities aimed at improving the visibility of a site or piece of content on traditional search engines.
KOC / KOL: Key Opinion Consumer and Key Opinion Leader, respectively consumers and influencers whose voice helps build credibility and authority around a brand within the Chinese digital ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. GEO is complementary to SEO. Search engines will continue to be a fundamental channel, while AI introduces a new way of searching for and receiving information.
Why is GEO important for the Chinese market?
Because the use of generative AI in China has grown rapidly, and users are relying on these tools to get information, compare products and receive recommendations as well.
Which companies can benefit from GEO?
Potentially every company that wants to build visibility in China, with particular relevance for tourism, luxury, food and beverage, fashion, design, automotive, wellness and premium products.
Is it enough to have a website in Chinese?
No. A localized website is important, but AI visibility depends on the full set of information and sources available across the digital ecosystem.
How long does it take to improve AI Visibility?
There is no standard timeframe. It depends on the brand's digital presence, the sector, how competitive the keywords are, and the project's objectives. AI visibility needs to be monitored over time.
How much does an AI Visibility service for the Chinese market cost?
The China AI Visibility service starts at investments under 5,000 euros, with projects tailored to the objectives, the sector and the desired level of visibility: an investment accessible even to Italian SMEs.
Why does GEO need a local team in China?
Because GEO requires deep knowledge of the sources consulted by Chinese AI models, of Mandarin language dynamics, and of local digital platforms, nuances that an approach managed exclusively from Europe cannot capture.
Do DeepSeek and the other Chinese AI platforms speak well of my brand?
This is the crucial question. When a potential Chinese customer asks DeepSeek, Ernie or Yuanbao for advice in your sector, your brand might not be cited at all, or it might be mentioned with inaccurate or negative information. The only way to find out is to run a systematic analysis across all the relevant platforms: China Digital Marketing's proprietary tool does exactly this, querying the leading Chinese AI models with questions relevant to the client's sector and analyzing whether and how the brand is mentioned.
What is the difference between SEO on Baidu and optimization for Chinese AI?
SEO on Baidu optimizes a website's position on the traditional search results page. GEO, by contrast, optimizes the brand's presence in the answers generated by AI platforms. With traditional SEO, the user sees a list of links and chooses which one to click; with generative AI, they instead receive a direct answer, and if the brand is not among the sources the model draws on, it simply does not exist in that answer. These are two complementary but distinct disciplines, and both fronts need to be covered.
How can I check my brand's visibility on Chinese AI?
The first step is to request a free AI visibility analysis of your brand. The analysis queries the leading platforms (DeepSeek, Yuanbao, Qwen, Ernie, Doubao, Kimi and AskNow) with strategic questions relevant to your sector and returns a clear picture of the current situation, becoming the starting point for building a targeted GEO strategy.
If your brand does not appear, or is cited inadequately, the analysis becomes the starting point for building a targeted GEO strategy. You can request a free analysis of your brand's AI visibility in China at chinadigitalmarketing.it/contatti to find out how Chinese artificial intelligence perceives your company and what opportunities you are missing.
Practical application examples
Tourism and hospitality
An Italian hotel can analyze what the leading Chinese AI platforms answer when a user asks:
"What are the best boutique hotels in Tuscany?"
The analysis makes it possible to understand which properties are cited, how they are described, and which elements can be highlighted.
Food and beverage
An Italian producer can check what comes up when a user searches for:
"What are the best Italian premium wine brands?"
The goal is to understand whether the brand is recognized and what associations are being built around its identity.
Design
An Italian furniture company can analyze queries such as:
"What are the best Italian contemporary design brands?"
GEO makes it possible to work on the presence of the information that defines the brand's positioning.
Luxury
A luxury brand can monitor how it is described relative to competitors and which concepts are associated with its name.
Operational checklist for Italian companies
Before starting a China AI Visibility project, a company should:
Analyze how the leading Chinese AI platforms currently describe the brand.
Check whether the brand is cited in the answers generated.
Analyze how the main competitors are described.
Identify the strategic keywords for its positioning.
Define, together with the internal team, the messages the brand wants to bring forward.
Check the consistency of the information available online.
Build content consistent with the company's positioning.
Strengthen the digital sources relevant to the Chinese market.
Integrate GEO with SEO, social media, PR and advertising.
Monitor how its AI Visibility evolves over time.
Periodically analyze the answers given by the leading Chinese AI platforms.
Use monitoring results to update the strategy.
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