Chinese regulators have approved the integration of Alibaba AI models into Apple devices, including the new iPhone Duo. This decision removes the primary regulatory barrier that previously prevented the launch of Apple Intelligence in mainland China.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has authorized three specific AI systems for use: Apple Intelligence, the Qwen large language model family from Alibaba Cloud, and the Tongyi Wanxiang tool, which generates images and video from text prompts.
While Apple Intelligence has been available in the United States since 2024 and in Europe since 2025, it has not yet launched in mainland China. The service is already accessible to users in Hong Kong, offering features such as email summarization and image editing.
Alibaba confirmed that the Qwen model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence features across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for Chinese users. Unlike in other global markets where Apple partners with Google and OpenAI, the company is working with local providers to comply with strict Chinese regulations.
