Zhipu leads rally in Chinese AI stocks, surging 30%, as a wave of new releases hits market

• Zhipu AI's GLM-5 model reportedly approaches Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5 in coding benchmarks and surpasses Google's Gemini 3 Pro on some tests
• Multiple Chinese AI companies released upgrades this week, including DeepSeek's flagship model update, MiniMax's M2.5 model, and Ant Group's Ming-Flash-Omni 2.0 multimodal model
• Chinese Premier Li Qiang called Wednesday for AI implementation 'in diverse scenarios to unlock the potential of the technology', signaling government support for the sector

Summary: Chinese AI Stocks Rally on New Model Releases and Policy Support

Chinese artificial intelligence stocks surged Thursday following multiple AI model launches and renewed government backing for the sector.

Key Market Movements:

• Zhipu AI (trading as Knowledge Atlas Technology) led gains with a 30% surge in Hong Kong
• The Shanghai STAR AI Industry Index rose 1.7% before trimming gains
• MiniMax also saw significant movement after its Wednesday launch

Major Developments:

Zhipu AI released GLM-5, an open-source large-language model featuring enhanced coding capabilities and long-running agent functionality. The company claims the model rivals Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5 in coding benchmarks and outperforms Google's Gemini 3 Pro on certain tests, though CNBC could not independently verify these assertions.

Additional AI Releases:

• MiniMax launched its M2.5 open-source model on its international platform Wednesday
• DeepSeek upgraded its flagship AI model, adding expanded context window support and updated knowledge
• Ant Group introduced Ming-Flash-Omni 2.0, a multimodal model capable of generating speech, music, sound effects, and visuals

Policy Support:

Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized implementing AI "in diverse scenarios to unlock the potential of the technology" on Wednesday, signaling continued government support for the sector.

Market Implications:

The rally reflects intensifying competition in China's AI sector as domestic developers accelerate efforts to match U.S. rivals through aggressive model releases. The wave of open-source launches suggests Chinese companies are prioritizing accessibility and rapid deployment to capture market share amid growing governmental emphasis on AI adoption.