AI token exports redefine China outbound playbook

Chinese enterprises are entering a new phase of global expansion, shifting from traditional product exports to what industry analysts are calling “capability exports,” with AI-driven token services emerging as one of the most explosive new formats in the overseas market. The trend was laid out in the latest outbound enterprise research report published by 36Kr Research.

The study, covering the 2025 to 2026 period, frames the transition as a “paradigm leap” for Chinese companies seeking to monetise their technological infrastructure overseas. At the centre of this shift sits artificial intelligence. Chinese AI models and services are increasingly being delivered to global developers through API calls and open-source ecosystems, a model the report dubs “Token出海,” or token exports.

What makes the model distinctive is the infrastructure advantage China has built in electricity capacity and computing power. These twin pillars enable Chinese AI providers to offer competitive pricing and scalable performance to overseas developers at a moment when demand for generative AI tools is surging worldwide. Rather than shipping physical goods, Chinese tech firms are exporting algorithmic capability on a usage-based, programmatic basis.

The implications extend well beyond the technology sector. The 36Kr report signals a broader redefinition of how Chinese companies approach international markets, one that prioritises platform-based, recurring service revenue over one-off manufacturing contracts. For traditional export-oriented industries, the research suggests, the playbook is being rewritten by software-native firms that can scale without the logistics constraints that have long defined Chinese trade.

The report’s timing is significant. As global buyers diversify their sourcing strategies and as supply chain reconfigurations continue across multiple sectors, Chinese capability exports offer an alternative revenue channel that sidesteps many of the tariff and logistics pressures facing physical goods. Industry observers say the model could reshape competitive dynamics across a wide range of B2B verticals, from digital infrastructure to specialised manufacturing services.

36Kr Research is the research arm of 36Kr, a leading Chinese technology and business media platform. The firm’s annual outbound enterprise reports have become reference documents for investors and policymakers tracking China’s evolving role in global trade.

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