- Apple reportedly built a China-specific AI model with Alibaba.
- Apple uses different AI partners in China and other markets.
Apple has developed a large language model specifically for China with support from Alibaba, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. The project marks a change from Apple’s earlier plan to rely primarily on Chinese partners’ models for generative AI features in the country.
Alibaba assisted with the development and training of the model, according to the Reuters report. The details have not been made public by either company.
Apple Intelligence is expected to reach China in the coming months through an iOS update. The launch follows the registration of Apple’s generative AI service by the Cyberspace Administration of China in July.
China’s AI rules shape Apple’s rollout
The regulatory approval cleared a major requirement for Apple to introduce its AI features on devices sold in mainland China. China has applied dedicated rules to public-facing generative AI services since August 2023, covering areas including training data, personal information, intellectual property, generated content, and the responsibilities of service providers.
China’s regulatory framework also includes filing and registration requirements for certain generative AI services.
Apple had already separated China from its broader Apple Intelligence rollout before reports of the new model emerged. At WWDC in June, the company said its newer Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features would not initially be available in China while it worked through regulatory requirements.
Apple’s support documentation also states that Apple Intelligence currently does not work on supported devices purchased in mainland China.
Apple’s deployment in China differs from its approach in markets where Apple Intelligence can connect to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Apple integrates ChatGPT with features including Siri and Writing Tools in regions where the OpenAI service is available.
Mainland China is not included on OpenAI’s official list of supported ChatGPT countries and regions. Anthropic’s official availability list for Claude also excludes mainland China, so neither service is officially available there in the same way it is across many of Apple’s other markets.
The planned Chinese version instead involves domestic AI technology. Alibaba’s Qwen model is expected to be incorporated into Apple Intelligence on compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro devices in China.
Technology from Baidu is also expected to form part of the service, according to earlier reporting from Reuters. Apple’s newly developed China-specific model would add another component to that arrangement.
The precise technical relationship between those systems has not been disclosed. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that the role of Apple’s model alongside Qwen and other Chinese technology remains unclear, while Apple has not publicly explained how individual Apple Intelligence functions will be divided between the models.
Apple builds a different AI stack for China
Apple has already taken steps to connect some of its software with Alibaba’s AI. Earlier this month, the company published a Chinese-language guide explaining how eligible Mac users in mainland China could connect Qwen to Siri and Writing Tools.
Apple later removed the guide without giving a reason. The arrangement described in the document applied specifically to Mac computers.
Alibaba has also worked to make Qwen models compatible with Apple’s hardware ecosystem. In June 2025, it released Qwen3 models optimized for MLX, Apple’s machine-learning framework for Apple silicon, allowing developers to run the models on devices including Macs and iPhones.
Apple and Alibaba have not said whether those specific MLX-optimized models form part of the planned Apple Intelligence service in China.
Apple’s work with Alibaba dates back to at least February 2025, when Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai publicly confirmed that Apple had selected the company as an AI partner in China. Tsai said Apple had considered several Chinese companies before choosing Alibaba.
The China-specific model adds to that previously disclosed partnership, with Alibaba supporting its development and training.
The planned rollout was subsequently delayed while Apple adapted its AI features to meet Chinese regulatory requirements. The registration completed in July provided the regulatory clearance needed for Apple Intelligence to operate on Chinese iPhones.
That arrangement differs from Apple’s deployment in markets where ChatGPT is available. There, Apple can combine its own models with OpenAI’s service, while its planned China offering involves Apple’s technology alongside Chinese models and locally approved services.
The China rollout also comes as Apple competes with domestic smartphone makers that already offer AI features on their devices. Huawei is among the local manufacturers that have introduced handsets with built-in AI capabilities.
China remains an important market for Apple’s hardware business. Apple Intelligence has so far remained unavailable on Chinese iPhones, leaving those devices without the same AI features offered in markets where the service has already launched.
China is also not the only region where Apple has adjusted its AI rollout because of local regulation. Apple has said Siri AI will initially be unavailable on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch in the European Union because of requirements under the Digital Markets Act, while the feature will remain available on Mac and Vision Pro in the region.
Apple’s AI deployment therefore differs by market in terms of model providers, feature availability, and regulatory requirements. China involves domestic AI partners, while other markets can include ChatGPT integration, and some EU devices face separate restrictions.
Apple has not disclosed when its China-specific model will become available, which Apple Intelligence features it will support, or how responsibilities will be divided between its model and technology from Alibaba and Baidu.
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