Key Points:
- China now treats the one-person company as a major national strategy, betting that artificial intelligence can turn individuals into powerful economic forces.
- By June 2025, the country had more than 16 million registered sole proprietorships, accounting for 27.4% of all enterprises.
- Solo founders connect directly to massive manufacturing supply chains in major cities, unlike the gig-focused US model.
- Local governments across China are currently building a comprehensive support system that provides funding, computing power, and data access for solo entrepreneurs.
China now treats the one-person company as a major national strategy. The country bets that artificial intelligence can turn a single person into a massive economic force. Experts say this trend happens at the same time as similar changes in the United States, but China takes a very different path to get there.
The one-person company, or OPC, recently became one of China’s most popular business trends. A research report from the State Administration for Market Regulation shows that the sector is growing rapidly. These tiny businesses cluster heavily in major economic centers. You see them everywhere across the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei areas. They also pop up frequently in new inland tech cities.
The hard numbers show just how fast this movement grows. By June 2025, China recorded more than 16 million registered one-person limited liability companies. These solo ventures make up 27.4% of all enterprises in the country. In the first half of 2025 alone, people registered 2.86 million new OPCs. This number jumped by 47% compared to the previous year and accounts for nearly 25% of all new businesses.
The Chinese approach looks very different from the American model. In the US, solo workers usually take gig economy jobs or provide simple digital services. China plugs its OPC boom directly into its massive industrial policy. The government anchors these tiny companies deep inside the country’s huge manufacturing network.
A single founder working on a laptop can access massive supply chains. They connect directly to major factory cities such as Yiwu in Zhejiang province, Dongguan in Guangdong province, and Suzhou in Jiangsu province. This setup lets one person use a large industrial network to build and ship products worldwide.
Experts call this the “individual plus supply chain” model. They say it defines how China handles the AI era. Very few Western economies have anything that matches this direct link between a solo digital worker and heavy manufacturing.
Local governments actively push this trend forward with new rules and money. Shenzhen launched an action plan in January 2026 to become a global center for AI-driven OPCs. In March, Guangdong province released China’s first provincial policy meant just for AI-powered solo founders. Sichuan province followed in April with its own plan. The Sichuan plan lists 16 specific tasks across 5 areas to build a local network for these solo businesses.
This policy shift shows a major change in government thinking. Local officials do not just tell people to start businesses. Instead, they build complete support systems. They offer direct funding, easy access to data, raw computing power, and clear real-world uses for AI tools. Officials want to build a five-part system that covers policy, funding, talent, physical technology, and actual business cases.
People can already see the early results of these new policies. Specialized startup communities for one-person companies are emerging in major cities. A specific group in Shanghai’s Lingang Special Area brought in more than 500 solo founders by early 2026. Guangdong now uses specialized hiring programs to find “super individuals” to run these companies. Meanwhile, Sichuan plans to complete the construction of AI-focused hubs for solo founders by 2027.
A big change in the Chinese economy drives this massive government push. As factories upgrade their technology, millions of highly trained young workers choose independent career paths. Many of these workers, born in the 1990s and 2000s, prefer flexible jobs to traditional office roles. OPCs allow them to use their skills at very low cost, especially in AI and digital fields that do not require physical equipment.
Wang Jian, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, views this trend as the shrinking of traditional small and medium businesses. Wang notes that AI offers incredible opportunities for new founders. However, he warns that success does not come free. Founders must build their companies through hard work and actual practice. He believes the main goal is to create a space where a single person can grow into a major technology leader. He compares this current moment to the early, wild days of the internet boom.
Other business leaders push the government to create better rules for these unique workers. Zhong Bo, who leads the Chinese technology company XGIMI, asks for a clear legal structure for digital one-person businesses. He wants the government to offer tax cuts for companies that produce data-driven work. He also asks for flexible social security plans that actually fit the lives of independent workers. Finally, Zhong wants banks to build specialized credit and lending systems specifically for tiny digital companies.
