Apple Intelligence has finally found a way through China’s regulatory maze–and all it took was nearly two years after it brought the AI suite to iPhone users elsewhere. China’s Cyberspace Administration has registered Apple Intelligence for use on iPhones in the country, clearing the main regulatory hurdle preventing its release. The approval creates a path for Apple to deploy its generative AI tools on Chinese devices. Now, the only wait is for regulators and Apple to provide a launch date.
Alibaba and Baidu are the new AI partners
Apple Intelligence in China will rely on technology from two of the country’s largest AI companies. Alibaba confirmed that its Qwen model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for users in China. On the other hand, Qwen will be used to understand text and images as well as content generation directly inside Apple’s operating systems.
Baidu also confirmed that it is working with Apple to develop Apple Intelligence features for Chinese iPhone users. As of right now, it is unclear how the company will divide the workloads between Baidu and Alibaba, leaving the exact role of each model unclear. Another variable is with the regulator itself. Apple Intelligence’s pass in China only covers iPhones. So the two-year AI drought is only seeing partial relief, with Chinese iPads, Macs, and Vision Pro headsets still missing out on this feature.
Chinese iPhones can finally leverage AI
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in June 2024, and two years later, regulatory requirements have gatekept the feature from mainland China. Apple’s support documentation says compatible devices already sold there should be able to activate the service once it officially becomes available.
The prolonged absence placed Apple at a disadvantage against Huawei, Xiaomi, and other Chinese manufacturers that had already integrated generative AI across their phones and other devices. Despite Apple and Alibaba submitting features for review in early 2025, the process got stalled owing to wider geopolitical tensions between China and the United States.