TOKYO -- Fundraising by Chinese artificial intelligence startups has increased rapidly since the Beijing government announced an AI drive in 2016, according to a report compiled by the Chinese tech news portal 36Kr. China is an AI powerhouse comparable to the U.S., and the report shows that this is due to its homegrown startups. Unlisted companies alone have raised 203.7 billion yuan ($30.1 billion) since 2016, according to a 2020 report on the development of AI in China, which was compiled by the research unit of 36Kr Holdings. Nikkei announced a partnership with 36Kr in May 2019.