China Approves Apple Intelligence but Requires Alibaba Qwen AI Model

China's Cyberspace Administration approved Apple Intelligence for use in the country on July 15, 2026. The decision clears the way for integration of Alibaba's Qwen AI model into Apple's operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS, for users in China.

Alibaba confirmed to Reuters that its Qwen models will handle text and image understanding and generation within Apple Intelligence experiences.

A Baidu spokesperson told TechCrunch the same day that the company is working with Apple to develop specific Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users. Apple generated $20.5 billion in sales in Greater China during the second quarter of 2026, a 28 percent increase from a year earlier.

iPhone shipments in China rose 24.4 percent year-over-year in the same period, according to IDC data, allowing Apple to regain the No.

2 position in the market after a shopping festival offered iPhone discounts. Apple Intelligence features first appeared in 2024 but remained unavailable in China pending regulatory approval. In February 2025, reports indicated Alibaba would build the primary AI system with Baidu contributing on a smaller scale.

Apple briefly enabled some features for Chinese users in March 2026 before formal clearance. Total smartphone shipments in China fell 4.3 percent year-over-year to roughly 66 million units in the second quarter, per IDC. Huawei shipments rose 19.

Apple is also exploring possible integrations with DeepSeek and ByteDance.