China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has approved Alibaba's AI models for use in Apple Intelligence on the mainland, according to Engadget, citing the South China Morning Post. The approval covers the Qwen large language models and the Tongyi Wanxiang image and video generation tool, which will power the AI features on Apple devices sold in China.
Apple had already secured clearance to roll out Apple Intelligence in China back in July, but the service had not yet gone live there. The updated filings include network access permits for the iPhone Duo and 18 Pro, with the Duo set to launch in China next week featuring the new Siri AI as a flagship capability. That means the feature will arrive on the mainland almost exactly two years after it launched in the US.
In the US, Apple has worked with Google and OpenAI to train its models and handle complex queries. Reports that Apple would partner with Chinese AI firms for the mainland market first emerged in early 2025, and by summer it was confirmed that Qwen would be central to Apple Intelligence on compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro models sold in China. The mainland's strict AI and privacy laws have required a cautious approach, while much of Apple Intelligence's feature set is already available in Hong Kong.