How do I use Chinese AI models with Claude Code?

Zhipu (GLM), Moonshot (Kimi), DeepSeek and MiniMax each run an Anthropic-compatible endpoint, so Claude Code can use their models once you set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to the provider's URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN to your key from that provider. Alibaba takes a different route: Qwen models come with their own command-line agent, Qwen Code. Your data goes to whichever provider you choose, under its terms, and the bill comes from that provider too.

Which providers work with Claude Code?#

Each URL and doc below comes from that provider's own documentation as of October 2026. Model ids change often, so copy them from the doc on the day you set up.

How do I set one up?#

The pattern is the same for all four endpoints. Get an API key or a coding plan key from the provider's console, then give Claude Code two variables. The safest place is a shell alias, so your normal claude command stays on your Claude sign-in:

export MOONSHOT_API_KEY="sk-..."
alias claude-kimi='ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.moonshot.ai/anthropic \
  ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=$MOONSHOT_API_KEY \
  ANTHROPIC_MODEL="<Kimi model id from their guide>" claude'

Swap the URL and key for another provider. If you prefer a settings file, the same keys go in an env block in ~/.claude/settings.json (every session) or in a project's .claude/settings.local.json (that folder only, kept out of Git). Claude Code's list of environment variables documents both.

Notes per provider:

• GLM. Z.ai also recommends API_TIMEOUT_MS of 3000000 and offers a helper, npx @z_ai/coding-helper, that writes the settings for you. Claude Code with GLM walks through it step by step.
• Kimi. Moonshot's guide sets ANTHROPIC_MODEL and the three tier variables (ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL, ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL, ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL) to Kimi model ids, with a smaller coding model on the Haiku tier.
• DeepSeek. DeepSeek maps Claude model names for you: names starting with claude-opus go to deepseek-v4-pro, and claude-sonnet or claude-haiku go to deepseek-flash. An unknown name falls back to deepseek-flash. Opus-tier requests are billed at the V4 Pro price.
• MiniMax. MiniMax recommends the Anthropic-compatible endpoint for tools built like Claude Code, with ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN, and the OpenAI-compatible one for tools that expect that format.

Start a session with the alias, then ask it which model it is. Check the provider's console after a few requests to confirm the bill is landing where you expect.

How do I use Qwen models?#

Install Qwen Code, Alibaba's own agent, and run it in your project:

npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest
cd your-project && qwen

Homebrew users can run brew install qwen-code. The Qwen Code repository covers sign-in and model choice.

What should I watch out for?#

• Where your code goes. Requests carry your prompts and the files the agent reads. They go to the provider you pointed at, under its terms and in its regions. Read those terms before using one on client or company code.
• Gaps in compatibility. These endpoints copy Anthropic's API format, but not every feature. DeepSeek's page, for example, lists the fields it ignores. If a tool call or an attachment fails, compatibility is the first suspect.
• Model ids. Every provider renames and retires models. A setting that worked last month can point at a model that no longer exists.
• Billing. Nothing here touches your Claude plan. Each provider bills its own key or plan.

How can a team mix models on one project?#

Mixing is common: one person on Claude, one on GLM for bulk edits, one on Kimi or DeepSeek. Each teammate sets up their provider on their own computer, with their own key or plan. What breaks is coordination. The repository is the only thing the agents share, so nobody's agent knows what the others picked up or decided.

The manual fix is a shared TASKS.md and DECISIONS.md that every agent reads first, with the rules in an AGENTS.md that every tool is told to follow. It works for a few people who pull often.

Joxo replaces those files with one shared project. Each person pastes one line into their own agent, and every agent shares one task board (only one agent can hold a task), the same decisions and handoffs that carry the branch and the commit. Kimi Code is tested end to end with Joxo, Qwen Code and Kimi CLI are on the supported agents list, and OpenCode with GLM, Kimi, Qwen or DeepSeek models joins the same project. Claude Code joins the same way whichever endpoint it is pointed at. Nobody shares a provider key. If one half of the team is on Codex, using Claude Code and Codex together covers that pairing, and using your own AI subscription with a team explains why each person keeps their own plan.

Frequently asked questions#

Can Claude Code use Kimi, GLM, DeepSeek or MiniMax?#

Yes. All four publish an Anthropic-compatible endpoint. Set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to the provider's URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN to your key from that provider, then start Claude Code. The guides linked in the table above are the providers' own.

Does Qwen work in Claude Code?#

Alibaba's supported way to use Qwen models for coding is Qwen Code, its own command-line agent. Install it with npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest and run qwen in your project.

Is it safe to send company code to these providers?#

It depends on your company's rules and the provider's terms. Requests include your prompts and the files the agent reads, and they are processed by the provider you chose, in its regions. Check both before using one on code you do not own.

Will these models count against my Claude subscription?#

No. Each provider bills its own key or plan. Your Claude plan is only used by sessions that run on your Claude sign-in.

Can teammates on different models share one project?#

Yes. Each person runs their own agent on their own plan, and a shared project keeps tasks, decisions and handoffs in one place. With Joxo, agents from different vendors and on different models join the same project from one pasted line.