It seems China is actively expanding not only into models but also into complete coding harnesses / agent apps.
Kimi K2.7 in GitHub Copilot
https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-kimi-k2-7-is-now-available-in-github-copilot/
GitHub has added Kimi K2.7 Code to Copilot. This is the first open-weight model available in Copilot. Hosted on Microsoft Azure.
MiMo-Code CLI by Xiaomi
https://mimo.xiaomi.com/mimocode
https://mimo.xiaomi.com/blog/mimo-code-long-horizon
https://github.com/XiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code
Xiaomi is developing its open-source CLI MiMoCode. It supports working with Git, checkpoints, task trees, subagents, compose mode, and voice input. It features persistent memory on SQLite FTS5 and commands like /dream and /distill to extract knowledge and repetitive workflows into skills.
Interestingly, this is not just "another CLI", but an attempt to build a Codex/Claude Code-like agent with its own memory and operating modes. There is a free starting tier called MiMo Auto, OAuth via Xiaomi MiMo Platform, and support for OpenAI-compatible providers.
ZCode App v3 by Z.ai
https://zcode.z.ai/en
ZCode is a desktop application for MacOS/Windows/Linux powered by the top-tier GLM-5.2 model. With v3, Z.ai optimizes the entire agent harness specifically for its model and pricing plans. It looks like a direct clone of the Codex app.
It features plugin management, file rewind with a safety summary, improved command suggestions for prompts, planning, review, deployment, workspace tasks, skills, and multi-agent interaction. You can manage the agent via chat in WeChat, Feishu, or Telegram.
Discussion
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48753715
On HN, the main discussion point is trust. Unlike MiMoCode, ZCode is not open-source, so people are asking about telemetry, sandboxing, and whether running a desktop agent on a primary machine is safe at all. Many comments boil down to best practices: agents are best run in VMs/containers, given separate worktrees, separate GitHub deploy keys, and minimal access to secrets.
Sonnet 5 - Longer and More Expensive
https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-sonnet-5
Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 5. Positioning: the most agentic Sonnet yet, closer to Opus 4.8 but cheaper. Available in Claude, Claude Code, and API as claude-sonnet-5. Until August 31, 2026, the price is discounted to $2/$10 per million input/output tokens, after which it will be $3/$15. For comparison, Opus 4.8 is $5/$25.
An additional nuance: the new tokenizer may count the same text as 1.0-1.35x more tokens depending on the content. Meaning, a "cheaper Sonnet" is not always automatically cheaper in reality. The model isn't necessarily smarter, but it shows better results because it is more persistent. Therefore, it can consume a lot of tokens.
Discussion
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48736605
HN met Sonnet 5 with skepticism. Many are asking why use Sonnet 5 for high-effort tasks if Opus 4.8 (low/medium) sometimes offers better value per dollar. Another complaint is that models are becoming more "agentic" but sometimes overcomplicate simple tasks and generate extra work for themselves.
#glm #kimi #githubcopilot #mimo