China's open-source LLMs facilitate growth in developing countries

At the 2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum in Xi'an, Cao Yanlin, director of the Medical and Health Legal Research Office of the Institute of Medical Information at Peking Union Medical College, highlighted how China's open-source large language models are set to bridge the digital divide.

Noting that all China's large models are open-source, he said this presents tremendous opportunities for nations across the Global South as well as Belt and Road partner countries.

"With these large models in place, the algorithmic foundation is secured, allowing localized deployment without the need for development from scratch," he said.