Apple Launches Its AI in the Chinese Market: Partnership with Alibaba

21:30 / 15.07.2026·37·Technology

Apple has taken a significant step toward introducing its Apple Intelligence generative AI system to the Chinese market. According to Reuters, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has granted approval for the use of Apple's services. As part of this agreement, Apple will integrate Alibaba's Qwen AI model into its iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS operating systems. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

This partnership is strategically vital for Apple, as China remains one of the company's largest and most profitable markets. In the second quarter of this year, Apple's sales in China grew by 28 percent, reaching 20.5 billion dollars. Furthermore, following recent major discounts and shopping festivals, iPhone smartphones have reclaimed the second position in the country's market.

Challenges in choosing a local partner

The process of implementing Apple Intelligence in China was not easy. Initially, there were reports that the company was in negotiations with Baidu, but issues arose in adapting the models to local user requirements. It is also said that partnership opportunities with other major tech giants like DeepSeek and ByteDance were considered.

Due to these searches and negotiations, the arrival of Apple Intelligence features, which debuted in 2024, was slightly delayed in the Chinese market. Ultimately, the agreement reached with Alibaba paves the way for providing advanced capabilities such as understanding and generating text and images on Apple devices.

Alibaba and market reaction

In a statement to CNBC, Alibaba representatives confirmed that the Qwen model would be fully integrated into the Apple Intelligence ecosystem. Although specific timelines have not been disclosed, this news had a positive impact on financial markets. Specifically, Alibaba shares rose by 4 percent before the start of trading on US exchanges, and later increased by more than 6 percent.

According to Chinese legislation, foreign companies must use locally licensed models to provide AI services on their devices. The partnership between Apple and Alibaba is not only a technological innovation but also evidence that Apple has successfully navigated regulatory requirements in China and is strengthening its position.