Apple Intelligence may be approaching its long-delayed debut in mainland China after regulators reportedly approved Alibaba models intended to support the system. Engadget reported on October 14 that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has cleared Tongyi Qianwen, better known as Qwen, along with Alibaba’s Tongyi Wanxiang image- and video-generation technology.

The regulatory development was first reported by the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba Group. Engadget said Apple had already received authorization in July to introduce Apple Intelligence on the Chinese mainland, but the company had not yet activated the service there. The newly reported model approvals appear to address another part of the local deployment path.

Language and image-generation engines move through an abstract regulatory approval corridor.
Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang have reportedly received approval from China’s industry regulator.

Updated filings also include network access permits for Apple’s iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, according to the report. The iPhone Duo is scheduled to launch in China next week, and an upgraded AI-focused Siri is positioned as one of its important software features. Engadget did not cite an official Apple announcement specifying the date when mainland users will receive Apple Intelligence.

The situation illustrates how global AI products can require different technical partnerships in different markets. Apple Intelligence features are already available in Hong Kong, but mainland China has separate AI and privacy requirements. Those rules have delayed a rollout that, if it now proceeds, would arrive close to two years after the system debuted in the United States.

Reports that Apple was seeking a Chinese AI partner emerged in early 2025, with Alibaba identified as a likely collaborator. By this past summer, Qwen had been confirmed as a central component for Apple Intelligence on compatible iPhones, iPads, Macs and Vision Pro devices sold to customers in China, according to Engadget.

A global AI network routes a smartphone through a distinct locally adapted model stack.
Apple’s reported approach reflects how one AI product can require different model partnerships across markets.

Outside China, Apple has worked with Google and OpenAI in developing model capabilities and routing more difficult requests. The reported Alibaba arrangement suggests that Apple’s integrated AI experience will rely on a locally approved model stack for Chinese customers rather than reproducing the same provider mix used elsewhere.

The approvals would be strategically important because mainland China is one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets, according to the report, and AI features have become a central part of the company’s device software pitch. Even so, several details remain unclear, including the exact rollout schedule and whether every Apple Intelligence function available in other regions will appear at launch.

For now, the strongest conclusion is that the regulatory and partnership pieces are moving into place. Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang have reportedly passed the relevant model-approval step, while Apple’s new phones have received network permits. Until Apple confirms availability, the timing and final shape of the mainland service remain provisional.