Rednote joins wave of Chinese firms releasing open-source AI models
BEIJING: China's Rednote, one of the country's most popular social media platforms, has released an open-source large language model, joining a wave of Chinese tech firms making their artificial intelligence models freely available.
The approach contrasts with many US tech giants like OpenAI and Google, which have kept their most advanced models proprietary, though some American firms including Meta have also released open-source models.
Open sourcing allows Chinese companies to demonstrate their technological capabilities, build developer communities and spread influence globally at a time when the US has sought to stymie China's tech progress with export restrictions on advanced semiconductors.
Rednote's model, called dots.llm1, is available for download on developer platform Hugging Face. A company technical paper describing it was uploaded on Friday.
In coding tasks, the model performs comparably to Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 series, though it trails more advanced models such as DeepSeek-V3, the technical paper said.
RedNote, also known by its Chinese name Xiaohongshu, is an Instagram-like platform where users share photos, videos, text posts and live streams. The platform gained international attention earlier this year when some US users flocked to the app amid concerns over a potential TikTok ban.
The company has invested in large language model development since 2023, not long after OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022.
It has accelerated its AI efforts in recent months, launching Diandian, an AI-powered search application that helps users find content on Xiaohongshu's main platform.
Other companies that are pursuing an open-source approach include Alibaba which launched Qwen 3, an upgraded version of its model in April.
Earlier this year, startup DeepSeek released its low-cost R1 model as open-source software, shaking up the global AI industry due to its competitive performance despite being developed at a fraction of the cost of Western rivals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
PT Resources enhances capabilities with coconut processing facility in Fujian, China
PETALING JAYA: PT Resources Holdings Bhd (PTRB), which is involved in the processing and trading of frozen seafood products as well as trading of meat and non-meat products, has established a coconut processing facility under its wholly owned subsidiary, Fujian HJS International Holdings Co Ltd. The facility is located in the China-Indonesia Food Industrial Park in Fuqing City, Fujian Province, China. PTRB is the first wholly foreign-owned enterprise to set up a coconut processing operation within the park and in China. With this development, the group is broadening their food processing capabilities to include coconut-based products. The new facility is equipped to produce a wide range of value-added products such as frozen coconut water, frozen coconut milk, desiccated coconut, and other derivatives, capturing the complete potential of the coconut fruit. The group is investing about RMB29 million (RM17 million) for the facility. This investment is financed entirely with internally generated funds. Trial production is under way, and commercial operations are expected to commence by the middle of this month. In the initial phase, the group will focus on supplying frozen and dried coconut products to business-to-business (B2B) customers such as food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers within Fujian Province and nearby regions. Fujian is strategically positioned as one of China's key import and processing hubs for mature coconuts, serving a wide network of F&B manufacturers within a 700km radius of the group's facility. This further enhances the group's logistical reach. According to Grand View Research, China accounted for 10.2% of the global coconut product market in 2022, generating a revenue of US$2.1 billion. The China market is projected to grow to US$3.6 billion by 2030 and China is expected to remain a key player in the Asia-Pacific region. PTRB managing director Heng Chang Hooi said: 'We are optimistic about the growing demand for coconut-based products in China, supported by its large population of 1.4 billion, rising interest for plant-based diets, and increasing demand for dairy alternatives. The popularity of coconut milk in coffee chains and specialty beverage outlets reflects this trend. There is also a surge in demand for coconut water and coconut milk, attributed to greater health awareness and preference for natural, low-sugar beverages.' Additionally, he said, coconut-based dairy alternatives such as coconut yogurt are gaining popularity, with brands like Yeyo on Tmall and in retail outlets such as City Super, BHG, and ALDI. Beyond the F&B segment, coconut by-products such as coconut shells have industrial use, including in the production of activated carbon for airpurifiers. Heng said, 'PTRB is actively exploring B2B collaborations with Chinese distributors and manufacturers, including opportunities for private-label production and OEM services as part of our localisation strategy. We also aim to leverage on Fujian's export infrastructure to access Asean markets, and will participate in trade exhibitions such as the China Food and Drinks Fair.' On the supply side, PTRB is in the process of securing consistent supplies of mature coconuts from Indonesia, one of the world's leading coconut producers. These arrangements will ensure a steady supply of coconuts to meet the anticipated demand, Heng said.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
PR Resources enhances capabilities with coconut processing facility in Fujian, China
PETALING JAYA: PT Resources Holdings Bhd (PTRB), which is involved in the processing and trading of frozen seafood products as well as trading of meat and non-meat products, has established a coconut processing facility under its wholly owned subsidiary, Fujian HJS International Holdings Co Ltd. The facility is located in the China-Indonesia Food Industrial Park in Fuqing City, Fujian Province, China. PTRB is the first wholly foreign-owned enterprise to set up a coconut processing operation within the park and in China. With this development, the group is broadening their food processing capabilities to include coconut-based products. The new facility is equipped to produce a wide range of value-added products such as frozen coconut water, frozen coconut milk, desiccated coconut, and other derivatives, capturing the complete potential of the coconut fruit. The group is investing about RMB29 million (RM17 million) for the facility. This investment is financed entirely with internally generated funds. Trial production is under way, and commercial operations are expected to commence by the middle of this month. In the initial phase, the group will focus on supplying frozen and dried coconut products to business-to-business (B2B) customers such as food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers within Fujian Province and nearby regions. Fujian is strategically positioned as one of China's key import and processing hubs for mature coconuts, serving a wide network of F&B manufacturers within a 700km radius of the group's facility. This further enhances the group's logistical reach. According to Grand View Research, China accounted for 10.2% of the global coconut product market in 2022, generating a revenue of US$2.1 billion. The China market is projected to grow to US$3.6 billion by 2030 and China is expected to remain a key player in the Asia-Pacific region. PTRB managing director Heng Chang Hooi said: 'We are optimistic about the growing demand for coconut-based products in China, supported by its large population of 1.4 billion, rising interest for plant-based diets, and increasing demand for dairy alternatives. The popularity of coconut milk in coffee chains and specialty beverage outlets reflects this trend. There is also a surge in demand for coconut water and coconut milk, attributed to greater health awareness and preference for natural, low-sugar beverages.' Additionally, he said, coconut-based dairy alternatives such as coconut yogurt are gaining popularity, with brands like Yeyo on Tmall and in retail outlets such as City Super, BHG, and ALDI. Beyond the F&B segment, coconut by-products such as coconut shells have industrial use, including in the production of activated carbon for airpurifiers. Heng said, 'PTRB is actively exploring B2B collaborations with Chinese distributors and manufacturers, including opportunities for private-label production and OEM services as part of our localisation strategy. We also aim to leverage on Fujian's export infrastructure to access Asean markets, and will participate in trade exhibitions such as the China Food and Drinks Fair.' On the supply side, PTRB is in the process of securing consistent supplies of mature coconuts from Indonesia, one of the world's leading coconut producers. These arrangements will ensure a steady supply of coconuts to meet the anticipated demand, Heng said.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Chinese vice Foreign Minister to attend Asean SOM in Malaysia, eyes deep regional consensus
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. -- Photo: CGTN BEIJING (Bernama): Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong will lead a delegation to attend a series of senior officials' meetings on East Asian cooperation from June 10 to 11 in Penang, Malaysia, aimed at building stronger consensus and enhancing cooperation. In a statement on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said China hopes the meetings will inject positive momentum into regional development. The meetings include the Asean Plus Three Senior Officials' Meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Senior Officials' Meeting, and the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials' Meeting, hosted under Malaysia's Asean chairmanship with the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'. Lin said participating countries were expected to exchange views on advancing cooperation under the respective mechanisms and deliberate on regional and global issues of mutual interest. "China looks forward to having in-depth communication at the SOM meetings to further build consensus, focus on cooperation, and inject more stability and positive energy into regional development,' he said. Lin added that the Penang meetings will prepare the ground for this year's leaders' meetings and foreign ministers' meetings on East Asian cooperation. Malaysia holds the Asean Chairmanship for 2025, with a focus on strengthening regional unity, sustainability and inclusive economic progress. - Bernama
