Business Brief (Sept. 30): China’s Generative AI Users Top 700 Million

Published: Sep. 30, 2026 6:19 p.m. GMT+8

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Generative AI Growth

China’s generative AI users exceeded 700 million by the end of June, with a penetration rate of more than 50%, according to the Generative AI Application Development Report (2026).

R&D Investment Target

China’s total research and development investment exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan in 2025, accounting for 2.8% of its GDP and surpassing the OECD average for the first time, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

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China's generative AI users exceeded 700 million by June, with penetration above 50%.
R&D investment surpassed 3.92 trillion yuan in 2025, reaching 2.8% of GDP, above OECD average.
5G subscriptions topped 1.3 billion; Shein's post-IPO report shows slower Q2 revenue growth.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

Shein: According to the article, Shein released its first financial report following its IPO, showing a continued slowdown in revenue growth in the second quarter.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

2025：: China's total research and development investment exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan, accounting for 2.8% of its GDP and surpassing the OECD average for the first time.

2026：: The Ministry of Science and Technology would launch key national science and technology projects to promote research in major areas such as integrated circuits and industrial machine tools.