Apple Intelligence Approved for Launch in China — Alibaba's Qwen to Power It as Foundation Model
China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) reportedly approved the domestic rollout of Apple’s AI service, “Apple Intelligence,” in China on July 15, 2026. This confirms a long-rumored partnership with Alibaba, under which Alibaba’s Qwen AI models will be integrated into Apple’s operating systems — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS — as part of Apple Intelligence.
Details
- What was approved: China’s Cyberspace Administration approved Apple’s AI service, based on a partnership integrating Alibaba’s Qwen models into the Apple Intelligence experience
- Scope of integration: Alibaba described the integration as covering AI features like “text and image understanding and generation” powered by Qwen, but did not specify a launch timeline
- A parallel partnership with Baidu: A Baidu spokesperson also confirmed to TechCrunch that the company is working with Apple on Apple Intelligence AI features, meaning both Alibaba and Baidu will together support Apple Intelligence in China
- Market reaction: News of the partnership sent Alibaba’s US-listed shares up 4% in pre-market trading, with gains exceeding 6% by the time of reporting
- Background: Because foreign AI models cannot be freely offered within China, Apple needed both domestic regulatory approval and a local partnership to bring Apple Intelligence features to iPhones and other devices in the Chinese market
What’s next
Through this partnership, Alibaba’s Qwen stands to become the foundation model potentially powering hundreds of millions of iPhones, iPads, and Macs in China. The exact launch timeline and feature details await further announcements from both Apple and Alibaba.