Apple Intelligence Approved for Launch in China with Alibaba Qwen AI

July 16, 2026
China's Cyberspace Administration has approved the registration of Apple Intelligence, allowing Apple to launch its generative AI services in China through integration with Alibaba's Qwen model across multiple Apple operating systems.
Apple Intelligence Approved for Launch in China with Alibaba Qwen AI

Apple has received regulatory approval from the Cyberspace Administration of China to introduce its Apple Intelligence service in China, reports Reuters. The approval follows Apple's partnership with Alibaba Group to integrate the company's Qwen artificial intelligence model into Apple devices.

Apple Intelligence will include capabilities from models developed by both Alibaba and Baidu, according to a source cited by Reuters. The integration will extend across Apple’s software platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

This follows an earlier report on Apple’s partnership with Alibaba to co-develop AI services for the Chinese market. Alibaba confirmed that its Qwen model will power text and image understanding and generation features within Apple Intelligence. The regulator did not specify a launch date for the service.

Apple's second quarter shipments in China increased 24.4 percent, while Alibaba's shares rose more than 6 percent following news of the collaboration.

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