Apple Intelligence Cleared for China Launch With Alibaba's Qwen AI Integration

Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of generative AI features, is officially set to launch in China. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Cyberspace Administration of China has approved Apple’s AI services following the company’s partnership with Alibaba, which will integrate its Qwen AI model across Apple’s operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

The agreement, which had been the subject of speculation since last year, represents a significant milestone in Apple’s efforts to expand its AI capabilities in one of its most important international markets. During the second quarter, Apple reported a 28% increase in Greater China revenue, reaching $20.5 billion. The company also recently reclaimed the second spot in China’s smartphone market after promotional discounts during a major shopping festival boosted iPhone sales.

Before selecting Alibaba as its local AI partner, Apple was reportedly in discussions with Baidu but encountered challenges in adapting Baidu’s AI models to meet the needs of Chinese users. Reports also suggested Apple evaluated partnerships with DeepSeek and ByteDance before ultimately deciding on Alibaba. Those negotiations contributed to delays in bringing Apple Intelligence, first introduced in 2024, to customers in China.

Alibaba confirmed the partnership in a statement to CNBC, saying that its Qwen large language model will be “integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences.” However, the company did not specify when the AI features will become available. Alibaba added that the integration will support capabilities such as text and image generation, as well as broader text and image understanding.

Investors welcomed the news of the partnership. Alibaba’s U.S.-listed shares climbed 4% in pre-market trading following the announcement and were trading more than 6% higher by the time of publication.