US AI firm Anthropic enables Chinese-language options for Claude chatbot

Artificial intelligence firm Anthropic has added Chinese-language capabilities to its Claude chatbot for supported markets, while maintaining a ban on users from mainland China. The company's web interface now allows users to choose between simplified and traditional Chinese as their preferred display language. China briefly appeared as a billing country option, but disappeared from settings.

UnionPay, a dominant Chinese bank card network, was also listed as a payment option on X, though the SCMP could not independently verify its activation. Anthropic has not officially commented on the updates. Analysts suggest the changes target overseas Chinese communities rather than indicating a mainland market entry plan. China technology analyst Poe Zhao explained that Anthropic can offer the product in Chinese without serving users in China.

Omdia chief analyst Su Lian Jye stated that this localisation is a significant step to improve user experience for the global Chinese diaspora. Anthropic's official supported-region list remains unchanged, indicating a cautious approach to expanding Claude's global footprint while enforcing strict controls against access from mainland China.

The firm has previously blocked access in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, which continue to be excluded from the supported regions. In recent months, Anthropic accused Chinese AI developers of harvesting Claude's outputs and reasoning traces using fraudulent accounts and proxy services. CEO Dario Amodei has also warned about the risks to national security posed by China's AI advancements, urging the US government to maintain strict export controls on advanced chips and equipment.

Analysts expect Anthropic to carefully screen new account sign-ups to maintain its enforcement policies while keeping standards tight.