Apple Intelligence is one step closer to reaching Chinese users. China’s cyberspace regulator announced on Wednesday that Apple’s on-device generative AI service has been formally registered for use on iPhones in the country. No launch date has been set yet, but the registration clears one of the biggest regulatory hurdles Apple faced in rolling out the feature.
China requires all large language models and generative AI services to go through a government registration process before they can reach the public. That requirement has kept Apple Intelligence out of the world’s largest smartphone market long after it launched elsewhere. Getting through that process is a significant step forward.
The version of Apple Intelligence heading to China will not run on Apple’s own AI models. Instead, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named, it will rely on models built by two of China’s biggest tech companies: Baidu and Alibaba.
Alibaba confirmed the arrangement in a statement to Reuters, saying its Qwen model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence across all of Apple’s major platforms in China:
- iPhone (iOS)
- iPad (iPadOS)
- Mac (macOS)
- Vision Pro (visionOS)
A Baidu spokesperson also confirmed the company is working with Apple to bring Apple Intelligence features to Chinese iPhone users. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
This matters because China is a critical market for Apple, and the company has been under pressure there. Local competitors like Huawei have been pushing hard on AI-powered features, and Chinese consumers have been watching Apple Intelligence roll out in other regions while getting nothing at home. Apple reported a 24.4% year-on-year increase in China shipments in the second quarter, a strong rebound, and getting Apple Intelligence into users’ hands could help sustain that momentum.
The partnership with Baidu and Alibaba also reflects a broader pattern for foreign tech companies operating in China. Relying on locally approved AI providers is effectively the price of entry. Apple is following the same playbook it used with iCloud in China, where it partnered with a state-backed firm to store Chinese user data on local servers. Working with domestic AI partners is how foreign companies get products through regulators and onto shelves.
In a separate registration, ZTE’s Nubia-Doubao smartphone was also cleared by the same regulator. Nubia is a ZTE-owned brand, and the Doubao device is built in partnership with ByteDance, focused on AI features. The dual registrations on the same day signal that China’s regulators are actively processing AI product approvals as the technology becomes central to consumer hardware.
