Apple’s AI Service Approved in China — Alibaba’s Qwen and Baidu Power Apple Intelligence

China’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), granted Apple a licence on July 16, 2026, to deploy its generative-AI suite “Apple Intelligence” on iPhones sold in the country. The approval is tied to technical partnerships with Alibaba Group Holding’s Qwen large-language model and Baidu’s AI infrastructure, enabling the service across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS for Chinese users.

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Apple launched Apple Intelligence globally in 2024, but Chinese regulators required AI services to be registered and content-screened before domestic release. Earlier in 2026, the CAC listed Apple Intelligence among seven smartphone-based AI services eligible for approval, joining domestic offerings from Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and ZTE. The clearance removes the final regulatory hurdle that had left Apple’s AI features unavailable in its second-largest market.

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• Apple Inc. – Developer of Apple Intelligence, seeking to restore AI parity in China.

Alibaba Shares Jump As Qwen AI Powers Apple Intel. In China

• Alibaba Group Holding – Provider of the Qwen model; its spokesperson confirmed integration details.

Alibaba Shares Rise After Apple AI Partnership

• Baidu Inc. – Supplier of AI infrastructure; its spokesperson confirmed collaboration on Apple Intelligence features.

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• Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) – The regulator that issued the licence.

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• Late June 2026 – Reports emerge that Alibaba’s Kunlunxin chip unit may pursue a $50 billion IPO.

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• July 16 2026 – CAC publishes the licence; Alibaba and Baidu announce their partnerships with Apple.

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• July 16 2026 – Apple’s Q2 sales in Greater China reach $20.5 billion, up 28 % YoY, reflecting the market’s importance.

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• Alibaba’s Hong-Kong-listed shares rose ? 5 % and its U.S.-listed ADRs gained ? 5.6 % in after-hours trading.

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• Baidu’s Hong-Kong shares climbed ? 4 % following the announcement.

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• Apple’s Greater China revenue grew 28 % year-over-year in Q2 2026, driven by a recent shopping-festival discount push that restored its No. 2 smartphone market position.

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The approval lets Apple deliver AI-driven text generation, image creation, and content understanding to Chinese iPhone users, narrowing a functional gap with domestic rivals that already embed AI in their devices. For Alibaba and Baidu, integration into Apple’s ecosystem offers exposure to millions of users and a high-profile commercial showcase amid intensifying U.S.–China tech tensions.

Alibaba Shares Jump As Qwen AI Powers Apple Intel. In China

Alibaba’s spokesperson said the Qwen model “will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences within iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and vision OS for users in China.” Baidu’s representative confirmed it is “working with Apple to develop AI features for Apple Intelligence in China.” Apple declined to comment when approached for comment.

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U.S. lawmakers are reviewing how American firms adopt Chinese AI technologies, raising concerns about national-security implications despite the commercial benefits of the partnership.

Alibaba Shares Jump As Qwen AI Powers Apple Intel. In China

• “Qwen will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences within iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and vision OS for users in China.” — Alibaba spokesperson

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• “The Apple-Qwen combination will allow users to access the model's capabilities, "like text and image understanding and generation, without needing to jump between tools," the Alibaba spokesperson added.” — Alibaba spokesperson

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• “On Wednesday evening, a Baidu spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it is also working with Apple on developing Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users.” — Baidu spokesperson

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• “In Brief Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s generative AI offering, is coming to China.” — Reuters (as reported by TechCrunch)

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• “Apple Intelligence and Samsung’s Galaxy AI were the only foreign services to be approved.” — South China Morning Post

South China Morning Post

Apple is preparing to roll out Apple Intelligence to Chinese iPhone owners in the coming weeks, extending the service to iPad, Mac and Vision Pro devices as regulatory clearance now permits full deployment.

Alibaba Shares Jump As Qwen AI Powers Apple Intel. In China