Key facts
- Meituan has released its LongCat-2.0 large language model.
- LongCat-2.0 is claimed to be the first trillion-parameter AI system trained and run entirely on domestic Chinese chips.
- Qihoo 360 founder Zhou Hongyi announced the AI vulnerability agent Tulong Feng.
- Tulong Feng is positioned as China's answer to Anthropic's cybersecurity AI model, Mythos.
- DeepSeek has implemented a peak-hour surcharge on its API usage.
- DeepSeek's new surcharge reverses its earlier strategy of triggering a price war.
- These developments occur amidst U.S. export controls and restrictions on AI technology access for Chinese entities.
China's Meituan has unveiled its LongCat-2.0 large language model, which it claims is the first trillion-parameter AI system to be trained and operated entirely on domestic Chinese chips. This development is a notable advancement in China's ongoing effort to achieve self-sufficiency in artificial intelligence, particularly in the face of U.S. export controls that limit access to advanced semiconductor technology.
In parallel, Zhou Hongyi, the founder of cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360, has introduced Tulong Feng, an AI vulnerability agent. Announced at the ISC.AI 2026 conference in Beijing, Tulong Feng is positioned as China's response to cybersecurity AI models like Anthropic's Mythos. This initiative follows U.S. restrictions that have limited Chinese entities' access to such advanced AI tools.
Separately, AI model provider DeepSeek has altered its pricing strategy by introducing a surcharge for API usage during peak hours. This marks a departure from its earlier approach of initiating a price war within the AI model market. The new surcharge is intended to help manage demand fluctuations and potentially boost revenue during periods of high usage.
The push for domestic AI capabilities by companies like Meituan and the development of indigenous AI tools like Tulong Feng by Qihoo 360 underscore China's strategic focus on reducing reliance on foreign technology. These efforts are directly influenced by geopolitical tensions and U.S. sanctions aimed at curbing China's technological advancement, particularly in sensitive sectors like AI and semiconductors.