Chinese LLM APIs vs Model Routers: Direct Access, Gateways, and Aggregators

Teams can access Chinese LLMs directly, through a private gateway, or through a model aggregator. Each approach has tradeoffs.

Direct access

Direct access gives more provider control but increases integration work.

Private gateway

A private gateway centralizes keys, routing, logs, quotas, and fallback while keeping policy under your control.

Aggregators

Aggregators can speed experimentation but may add another vendor layer.

Final thoughts

For production teams, a private gateway often balances flexibility, control, and operational visibility.