Alibaba AI models cleared for Apple Intelligence in mainland China
The approval removes another barrier to Apple Intelligence in China, but the feature still has not gone live.
Apple has cleared another regulatory hurdle for bringing Apple Intelligence to supported iPhone models in mainland China, which matters because the company has been waiting to turn on a core feature in a major market. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has approved Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen, also known as Qwen, plus Tongyi Wanxiang for use with the system. Apple had already received permission in July to launch Apple Intelligence in China, but it still has not gone live there. The updated filings also include network access permits for the iPhone Duo and 18 Pro, and the iPhone Duo is set to launch in China next week with the new Siri AI as a headline feature.
Why it matters
For Apple users in mainland China, this moves Apple Intelligence closer to turning on after months of waiting. It also ties the rollout to the iPhone Duo launch, where Siri AI is being positioned as a headline feature, while network access permits for the iPhone Duo and 18 Pro signal the devices are cleared for that market. Apple’s delayed rollout now has fewer remaining obstacles.
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Sources
- Engadget