AI Search Platforms in China: How Ecosystems Change Brand Visibility

Lizzie Lou

Director of Marketing, China

Published on March 5, 2026

Generative AI adoption is accelerating worldwide, but China’s market is developing along its own path. Many Western AI platforms and search services do not operate in mainland China, leading domestic companies to build powerful AI assistants integrated directly into daily digital services.

Instead of simply returning search results, Chinese AI platforms increasingly connect discovery with transaction. Users can ask for recommendations, compare options, and move directly into ordering, booking, or purchasing without visiting traditional search pages.

As a result, brand visibility in China now depends not only on search engine rankings but also on how brands appear inside AI assistants across multiple ecosystems. For a broader overview of how this shift is changing brand strategy, see our analysis of AI search and brand discovery in China.

China’s AI Platform Ecosystems Driving Search & Commerce

According to AICPB data, DeepSeek (深度求索) recorded 411.49 million monthly visits in December 2025. Chinese users accounted for roughly 30%, followed by users in India and Indonesia.

Developed by a startup company, DeepSeek focuses on open-source development and relatively low inference costs. It supports long-form reasoning and has gained popularity among developers and technical communities.

However, DeepSeek does not yet operate a strong content or e-commerce ecosystem. As a result, brand visibility relies heavily on official websites and publicly available sources rather than deep platform integration.

AIBase reports that Baidu’s ERNIE Bot (also known as Wenxin Yiyan, 文心一言) surpassed 200 million monthly active users in January 2026, becoming the first domestic large model to reach this scale.

Baidu integrates ERNIE Bot across search, mapping, healthcare, and local services. Users can ask questions such as nearby restaurant recommendations and move directly to ordering platforms within the ecosystem.

The system also allows users to switch between different models, combining Baidu’s own technology with other large models. This integration across everyday services makes ERNIE Bot an increasingly important discovery channel.

Industry reports show Doubao (豆包) became China’s most widely used AI chatbot in late 2024 with roughly 159 million monthly users. Data from August 2025 still places usage around 157 million users, with many former DeepSeek users moving to Doubao.

Built by ByteDance, Doubao supports text, image, audio, and video generation. It can write articles, generate images, produce code, and handle multi-step tasks such as booking tickets or ordering food.

ByteDance later introduced an operating-system-level voice assistant capable of placing orders and comparing prices through voice interaction. Deep integration with Douyin and news feeds allows Doubao to scale quickly through short video and livestream ecosystems.

AIBase and Reuters both report that Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen (also known as Tongyi Qianwen, 通义千问) application surpassed 100 million users within two months of launch.

Qwen integrates shopping, payments, mapping, and travel services into a single conversational interface. Users can compare prices, order food, book hotels, or handle certain government services within one dialogue.

An agent mode under testing can automatically contact businesses and process documents, further expanding automation capabilities inside the ecosystem.

Why Platform Ecosystems Matter for Brands

Each platform delivers a different user experience and connects discovery to commerce in distinct ways. Brands cannot rely on a single search strategy; visibility must adapt to each ecosystem.

Regulation also shapes how platforms operate. Chinese rules governing generative AI services require systems to avoid misinformation and clearly distinguish advertising content. Compliance and transparency therefore remain essential for brands seeking sustainable visibility.

For companies entering or expanding in China, understanding how AI assistants integrate with e-commerce, payments, and lifestyle services is becoming as important as traditional search optimisation.

At WPIC, we see these platform dynamics shaping how brands operate in China every day. AI-driven insights help interpret shifting platform signals, while AI-supported systems increasingly influence everything from creative development to SKU planning and KOL activation.

As AI assistants become another gateway to discovery and commerce, integrating AI across marketing and operational workflows will become increasingly important for brands seeking sustainable growth in China.

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