Artificial intelligence-generated content has emerged as an independent industry on the Hurun Most Valuable China Brands 2026, with eight Chinese AI brands featuring in the rankings. ByteDance's Doubao topped the AIGC sector with a brand value of 8.5 billion yuan ($1.26 billion).

Released by the Hurun Research Institute on Tuesday in Shanghai, the 2026 list, now in its 21st edition, features 502 brands from 17 countries worldwide, with a combined brand value of 8 trillion yuan.

Apple retained the top spot with a brand value of 1.3 trillion yuan. Kweichow Moutai ranked second with 700 billion yuan, remaining the most valuable Chinese brand. Douyin and WeChat tied for third with 300 billion yuan each, standing as the most valuable Chinese private brands. Huawei returned to the overall top 10 for the first time in two decades, with its brand value rising 23 percent year-on-year to 100 billion yuan.

Consumer electronics remained the highest-value sector with a total worth of 1.55 trillion yuan. Finance, food and beverage, and automotive industries had the largest number of listed brands.

Meanwhile, Shanghai maintained its position as China's leading brand hub, hosting 138 listed brands with a combined value of 2.9 trillion yuan, driven by both international brand aggregation and local brand growth.

Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report, said: "Over the past year, China's economy has undergone structural adjustment and a shift in growth drivers. Generative AI, high-end electronics, content social platforms and cultural tourism have become the main drivers of brand value growth, while the food and beverage industry has benefited from consumption upgrading and the revival of time-honored national brands."

According to Hoogewerf, brands with the strongest value growth are concentrated in AIGC, premium smartphones, content social platforms, cultural tourism and new energy vehicle sub-brands. Sectors seeing notable declines include baijiu, gaming, some new energy automakers, traditional internet platforms and cosmetics.

Hurun Research also launched two inaugural sector-specific lists. The Hurun China Emerging Consumer Brands 2026 focuses on light consumer brands founded after 2010, evaluated by annual revenue, revenue growth and enterprise value; Xiaomi, Honor and Redmi took the top three positions. The Hurun China Top 10 New Energy MPV Brands 2026, assessed by sales volume, growth rate, premium pricing power and enterprise value, was led by Denza, followed by Voyah and Wey.

Thirty-seven Chinese brands have evolved into globally influential global brands, with a combined global brand value of 800 billion yuan. Brands including Honor, Hisense and Ecovacs generate roughly half their revenue from overseas markets, while Xiaomi, DJI, Dreame and Lenovo derive twice as much revenue from abroad as from domestic markets, according to the list.

Source: China Daily