Apple Wins China Approval for Apple Intelligence Launch Using Alibaba’s Qwen Model

Apple has received official regulatory approval from China’s Cyberspace Administration to launch Apple Intelligence in mainland China, ending a nearly two-year delay that blocked the AI service in the world’s largest smartphone market ^[1][2]. The approval, granted on July 15, 2026, requires Apple to use local AI models instead of its own, with Alibaba’s Qwen serving as the primary engine across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, while Baidu also plays a confirmed but unspecified role ^[2]. This move allows Chinese iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro users to access generative AI features like text and image generation, though Apple has not yet announced a specific public rollout date . The deal marks a significant shift for Apple, which agreed to integrate third-party models to comply with China’s strict AI and privacy regulations, enabling its entry into a market where competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi already offer similar services .