Do HubSpot's New AI Features Work in China and Hong Kong?

HubSpot's AI works in Hong Kong without a VPN, and teams on the Mainland can reach the same AI models through HubSpot.

HubSpot's latest release puts AI at the centre of the platform, built on what it calls Growth Context. For teams in Hong Kong and Mainland China, that raises a practical question: how much can they use it day to day?

Gareth Jones, Oxygen's Managing Partner APAC, covered this at our HubSpot User Group for Hong Kong and Mainland China on 14 October. Below, we outline what works, which AI models power it and what to set up for Chinese-speaking customers.

Do HubSpot's AI features work in Hong Kong and Mainland China?

Most of them do. The table below summarises each feature's status.

The core CRM, email and website tools have their own considerations in China.

Which AI models does HubSpot use, and why does that matter in Hong Kong?

Breeze, HubSpot's AI assistant, runs on models from several providers. HubSpot's own AI model cards list OpenAI, Anthropic and Google models behind Breeze Assistant, alongside HubSpot's proprietary models.

That matters in Hong Kong, where many users have recently lost direct access to Claude and can't always reach other AI tools. Using HubSpot gives teams frontier AI inside the CRM without needing a VPN.

"OpenAI is underlying HubSpot, kind of like Microsoft with Copilot that has those OpenAI models. It enables you to use these models without having to use a VPN."

Gareth Jones, Managing Partner APAC, Oxygen · Watch at 3:23

The model choice also matters less than it seems. Breeze works from your Growth Context, so the quality of your business, team and customer data shapes the output more than the model underneath.

Can you use Chinese AI models like DeepSeek or Qwen with HubSpot?

Yes, through HubSpot's open connections, not as a built-in option. Gareth named DeepSeek, Doubao, Qwen and Kimi as models many teams in the region already use, including developers who use them to check coding assistants' work.

The route in is HubSpot's remote MCP server, which lets a compatible AI tool read, write and update HubSpot records such as contacts, deals and tickets. HubSpot describes it as a way to connect "any compatible AI client". Teams can also work through HubSpot's API and developer tools.

Healthcare and other regulated businesses should note one limit. If Sensitive Data is turned on in your HubSpot account, calls, emails, meetings, notes, tasks and conversations are blocked from the MCP server. HubSpot's standard CRM APIs aren't affected.

HubSpot's built-in custom LLM workflow action covers OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, xAI and Google on Enterprise plans, so for Chinese models, MCP or the API is the way in.

"Whether you're using Chinese models to enrich your data through command line interface, or whether you're literally talking into your phone, HubSpot can handle pretty much anything you throw at it."

Gareth Jones, Managing Partner APAC, Oxygen · Watch at 10:08

Data enrichment is the most common starting point, and it works best when you have clean, well-structured records in place before connecting any model.

How should you set up HubSpot's AI for Chinese-speaking customers?

Treat written and spoken language separately. HubSpot handles both, in different parts of the platform.

Written: Traditional and Simplified Chinese. The HubSpot interface supports both Traditional and Simplified Chinese. Hong Kong and Taiwan customers usually read Traditional script; Mainland customers read Simplified. To help Breeze get this right:

• Add writing samples for each script to your brand voice in Context Home.
• Record each client's preferred script on their contact record.
• Note where tone should differ, for example, formal for a Mainland procurement team, warmer for a long-standing Hong Kong client.

With that context, Breeze can pick the right script on its own. In Gareth's quote-to-cash demo, HubSpot drafted a cover letter in Simplified Chinese based on language signals in the client's record.

Spoken: Cantonese and Mandarin. HubSpot can transcribe calls and meetings held in Cantonese or Mandarin. Those conversations then become part of your customer context, so the AI can draw on them in later replies and summaries.

What should Mainland teams plan for?

HubSpot's AI is available to Mainland teams, and a little planning makes the experience smoother.

Access without a VPN. Mainland teams can use AI models through HubSpot without a VPN. Interface speed can vary on some networks, so test from your Mainland office before a full rollout.

Mobile access. iPhone users can install the HubSpot app, with Breeze built in, from the App Store. On Android, the app installs from the Google Play Store, which isn't available on the Mainland, so desktop or iPhone is the reliable route there. Where company device policies restrict the app, as some attendees mentioned, agree an approved way to log notes after customer conversations.

Data processing. HubSpot processes AI data in your account's data centre region, which is the United States, European Union, Canada or Australia, and its AI providers may not train on customer data. Teams with data residency obligations should confirm the set-up with their compliance team.

Where should China-facing teams start?

Start small and test from where your team works.

1. Check your data centre. Confirm where your HubSpot account processes data, and whether that suits your obligations.
2. Set your language context. Add brand voice samples for Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and record each client's preferred script.
3. Test an agent before you commit. Agent test runs don't use credits, so you can review the output and estimate the cost first.
4. Pilot with a Mainland team. Ask colleagues on the Mainland to run the same tasks for a week, and note what loads slowly or not at all.

Building the wider Growth Context behind these features makes each of them more useful.

Need help setting up HubSpot's AI for teams across Hong Kong and the Mainland? Speak with one of our China-based HubSpot consultants.

FAQs on HubSpot AI in China