https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0309/c94476-20433814.html

When smart agents perform tasks, they need to break down steps and go through trial and error, so “token” consumption can reach hundreds of times that of chat-style communication. “Token,” the smallest unit of measurement in the world of AI (artificial intelligence), is now becoming an important indicator for measuring a country’s AI capabilities. And in this indicator, China’s AI has achieved a lead.

According to data from OpenRouter, the world’s largest API aggregation platform for large-scale AI models, the total token consumption of the top 10 models on the platform exceeded 28.7 trillion as of February 28th. Within this, Chinese models surpassed US models in market share for the first time, reaching a majority on a monthly basis.

This is by no means a temporary phenomenon. Chinese models presently hold the top spot in OpenRouter’s monthly rankings: China*s MiniMax, Kimi, and DeepSeek are becoming preferred choices for developers worldwide.

Developers need to frequently and extensively call application programming interfaces API in development, testing, and online user environments. The reversal in API call volume reflects, to some extent, the growing appreciation for Chinese models among developers. Importantly, almost all OpenRouter users are overseas residents, with US developers accounting for 47.17%. This means that the reversal by the Chinese model is a realistic result that reflects the actual usage by developers worldwide.

Image shows OpenRouter Monthly Ranking as of March 6th, 2026