Apple Intelligence approved by China with Alibaba Qwen & Baidu

Apple Intelligence has received approval from China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) for release in the country. Alibaba’s Qwen model and Baidu are selected as the default AI services for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and visionOS. DeepSeek and ByteDance might be added later on.

1Why China Was Closed to Apple Intelligence

Generative AI services in China are tightly regulated. They need to get approval from the CAC and can only work with authorized local partners. That’s why Apple Intelligence wasn’t available in China despite being released in 2024, whereas Android devices have been offering AI services for years. Apple decided to work with authorized local companies instead of OpenAI, which is blocked in China.

2What Users Will Get

When released, Chinese iPhone and iPad users will be able to use text and image generation/understanding services, similar to their US and European counterparts who have been using these services for more than a year. These services will be based on Alibaba’s Qwen models and Baidu instead of OpenAI, which powers the service everywhere else. There is no information about when this will happen.

3What This Means for Apple

Apple’s Greater China revenues reached $20.5B in Q2 2026, representing a growth of 28% compared to the same period last year. The company managed to regain the second spot in China’s smartphone market and with the approval of Apple Intelligence, there are no major obstacles left for the iPhone to compete effectively in a country where Huawei and other local brands have offered AI services for a long time.

This sets a precedent for other Western companies, showing that instead of challenging the regulatory environment, it’s possible to find ways to adapt and work within existing frameworks by working with authorized local partners. This might be the way forward for any AI company looking to enter the Chinese market.