China’s Big Tech Giants Race for AI Agent Supremacy After Manus Relocates
Chinese technology giants, including Tencent Holdings and ByteDance, are ramping up their focus on artificial intelligence (AI) agents, intensifying competition in a rapidly evolving market. This surge follows the relocation of rival Manus AI overseas due to geopolitical tensions.
At the recent World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held in Shanghai, Tencent’s cloud computing division unveiled a dozen AI agents designed to autonomously perform tasks for both business users and consumers. The company highlighted its online marketing agent, which can automate entire workflows — from profiling target consumers and selecting suitable products to creating marketing materials and evaluating campaign effectiveness.
AI agents have become a new battleground in the tech industry, with firms developing specialized solutions such as coding assistants. Tencent introduced CodeBuddy IDE, an AI-powered coding assistant comparable to ByteDance’s Trae and Baidu’s Comate, aimed at streamlining software development.
Beyond assistive coding, Tencent has enhanced its AI agent development platforms to empower third-party developers to build tailored and specialized agents. This initiative is part of Tencent Cloud’s broader strategy to accelerate AI adoption and unlock the full potential of AI models.
Wu Yunsheng, vice-president of Tencent Cloud, emphasized the importance of this acceleration, stating it is crucial for realizing the value embedded in AI technologies.
The competition among Chinese Big Tech firms reflects the broader global race to dominate AI-driven services, especially as geopolitical factors reshape market dynamics.
Source: Originally published at South China Morning Post on Tue, 29 Jul 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are AI agents?
AI agents are software programs that can autonomously perform tasks. In the context of the article, examples include online marketing agents that can manage entire marketing campaigns and AI-powered coding assistants that help developers write code more efficiently.
Which Chinese tech giants are focusing on AI agents?
Tencent Holdings and ByteDance are specifically mentioned as major Chinese tech giants actively developing and focusing on AI agents.
What is the significance of Manus AI relocating overseas?
Manus AI's relocation overseas is attributed to geopolitical tensions, suggesting that these tensions are influencing business decisions and market dynamics in the AI sector, potentially creating opportunities or challenges for other players.
What specific AI agent did Tencent unveil?
Tencent unveiled a dozen AI agents at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), including an online marketing agent capable of automating tasks from consumer profiling to campaign evaluation, and a coding assistant named CodeBuddy IDE.
How are AI agents being used in software development?
AI agents are being developed as coding assistants to streamline the software development process. Tencent's CodeBuddy IDE, ByteDance's Trae, and Baidu's Comate are examples of such tools.
Crypto Market AI's Take
The intensifying race for AI agent supremacy among China's tech giants like Tencent and ByteDance highlights a critical trend: the integration of advanced AI into core business functions and consumer services. This competitive landscape mirrors the broader adoption of AI technologies across various industries, including finance and trading. At Crypto Market AI, we are at the forefront of this revolution, leveraging AI-powered agents for market analysis, automated trading strategies, and personalized financial insights. Our platform aims to enhance user experience and efficiency by providing sophisticated tools like AI trading bots and AI analysts that can process vast amounts of market data, identify trends, and execute trades with precision. We believe AI agents are poised to redefine how individuals and businesses interact with financial markets, making sophisticated strategies more accessible and efficient.
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