China’s Cyberspace Administration has approved Apple’s mobile generative AI service, opening the door for Apple Intelligence to launch in the country for the first time. The move sent shares of Alibaba and Baidu higher in Hong Kong.
Alibaba shares advanced nearly 5% in Hong Kong on Thursday, while Baidu rose close to 4%. In the US, Alibaba’s listed shares had already climbed 4.78% on Wednesday and added another 5.59% in extended trading. Baidu gained 1.59% before adding slightly more after hours.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited, BABA
The approval marks a turning point for Apple in China. The company introduced Apple Intelligence globally almost two years ago but could not offer it in China without regulatory clearance.
China requires all generative AI services to go through registration and content reviews before reaching users. Apple had been waiting for this approval since the broader rollout began.
Alibaba confirmed that its Qwen large language model will power Apple Intelligence across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for users in China. Baidu’s AI technology will also support features on iPhones in the country.
The partnership puts two of China’s biggest tech companies at the center of Apple’s AI push in the region. Both Alibaba and Baidu benefit from the exposure and integration into Apple’s ecosystem.
Apple had been losing ground in China to local rivals. Huawei and Xiaomi had been offering their own AI-powered features, giving them an edge over Apple devices that lacked similar capabilities.
Apple was not the only company to receive clearance. The Cyberspace Administration approved AI services from Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo in the same batch, showing a wider push to register mobile AI services in the country.
For Apple, the timing is important. China remains one of its largest markets, and the absence of AI features had been a competitive disadvantage heading into 2026.
The rollout will bring features standard in other regions to Chinese iPhone users. These include on-device AI tools built into Apple’s operating systems.
Alibaba’s Qwen model has been expanding its reach across different platforms. Its inclusion in Apple’s Chinese AI offering is one of its most high-profile partnerships to date.
Baidu has also been working to grow its AI business. The company’s involvement in the Apple rollout gives it a direct path to millions of iPhone users in China.
The regulatory green light removes one of the last major barriers Apple faced in bringing its full product experience to Chinese consumers. The company can now move forward with a market rollout.
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