TechTrending
China has approved Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen and Tongyi Wanxiang AI models for use in Apple devices, clearing regulatory hurdles for Apple Intelligence's launch in mainland China.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has granted approval for Alibaba Group Holding’s artificial intelligence models to be integrated into several Apple handsets, including the new iPhone Duo. This regulatory clearance removes a key barrier to the long-delayed launch of Apple Intelligence in the Chinese market.
Updated network access permits issued by the MIIT now list three approved AI systems for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and several earlier Apple models: Apple Intelligence, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen, and Alibaba’s Tongyi Wanxiang. According to the South China Morning Post, the filings were dated September 29, 2026, and became public knowledge on October 14, 2026.
This approval follows a separate clearance from China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) in July 2026, which registered Apple Intelligence as a generative AI service. The MIIT permit is the second regulatory gate, authorizing specific hardware to run the service over China’s telecommunications networks.
Tim Cook, executive chairman of Apple, confirmed during a visit to Shanghai that the company would release a beta version of Apple Intelligence for the mainland market in late October. However, the revamped Siri AI will not be included in this initial update. Apple stated in a statement that it was “excited to have received approval for bringing the original, core set of Apple Intelligence features like live translation, Clean Up in photos and writing tools to our users in China.”
Due to China’s stringent oversight of foreign AI services, Apple has partnered with local tech firms rather than deploying its global AI stack, which relies on Google and OpenAI in international markets. Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen (also known as Qwen) is a family of large language models developed by Alibaba Cloud, while Tongyi Wanxiang specializes in AI text-to-image and video generation.
Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group, stated in February 2025 that Apple had chosen Alibaba to power its phones in China. “They want to use our AI to power their phones,” Tsai said at the time.
While Alibaba supplies the core generative capabilities, reports from China Daily indicate that Baidu is playing a supporting role, reportedly handling search and some Siri-adjacent functions. This suggests a multi-vendor structure for Apple’s China AI stack.
The approval comes as Apple faces intense competition in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. Local players such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor have already shipped on-device AI features, trained and approved under Chinese rules. According to an IDC report, China’s overall smartphone shipments plunged 15 per cent in the third quarter of 2026. Huawei led the market with a 21 per cent share, while Apple ranked second with a nearly 18 per cent share, though its shipment volume was down 4 per cent year on year.
The launch of Apple Intelligence is critical for Apple as it seeks to stave off domestic competition. The iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable smartphone, is scheduled for release in China next week. The inclusion of AI features is considered a key selling point for the device.
This development marks the end of a two-year regulatory drought for Apple Intelligence in mainland China. By partnering with Alibaba, Apple has secured a government-sanctioned path to ship generative AI features to roughly 300 million iPhone users in the region. This move highlights the structural challenges US tech companies face in China, where foreign-trained large language models cannot operate without domestic compliance paths. The partnership also provides Alibaba with significant validation and distribution scale, embedding its models into Apple’s ecosystem.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
Meta revised its commercial terms for business accounts on Oct. 16, removing the word 'train' from permitted uses of scraped content. The change follows criticism from legal experts and publisher groups.
TechTrending
Siemens executive board member Cedrik Neike announced a goal to raise factory automation to 70%-80% using AI. The company plans a €500 million expansion of its Erlangen site by 2030.