California (GNP): Apple has cleared a major regulatory hurdle to launch its generative AI features in China, with the country’s cyberspace regulator confirming Wednesday that Apple Intelligence has been registered for use on iPhones in one of the company’s most important markets.
China’s Cyberspace Administration added Apple’s generative AI service to its list of newly approved providers, placing the company alongside domestic firms such as Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi Corp. The approval caps a nearly two-year effort by Apple to bring the AI suite, first launched in 2024, to Chinese users, a process complicated by the company’s decision to rebuild the service on Alphabet’s Google Gemini models after switching foundation models along the way.
For the Chinese market, Apple Intelligence will draw on capabilities from AI models developed by Baidu and Alibaba, according to a source familiar with the matter. Alibaba confirmed separately that its Qwen AI would be integrated into Apple Intelligence for Chinese users, with the integration extending across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS. Neither Apple nor Alibaba specified a rollout date for when the AI features would become available on iPhones sold in China. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The clearance is significant given that foreign AI services face strict regulatory scrutiny in China, and it opens the door for Apple to introduce AI capabilities widely regarded as a key differentiator for its latest devices, features the company has increasingly relied on to strengthen the appeal and competitiveness of its hardware lineup.
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Following the announcement, Alibaba’s US-listed shares rose nearly 5 percent in premarket trading, while Apple shares gained close to 1 percent. Apple reported a 24.4 percent year-on-year increase in iPhone shipments in China during the second quarter.
The regulatory breakthrough follows outgoing Apple chief executive Tim Cook’s participation in a business delegation led by US President Donald Trump during a visit to Beijing in May. Cook, who is set to hand over leadership to John Ternus in September, has continued to cultivate Apple’s relationship with China despite rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over tariffs and technology export controls.
