Apple has trained its own large language model for China with Alibaba's support, a break from its reliance on outside partners in a market where it holds 18.1% share.
Key Points:
- Apple built a China-specific large language model with training support from Alibaba, according to people familiar with the work.
- The system would make Apple the first foreign company Beijing has cleared to run a proprietary AI model in the country.
- Apple Intelligence is expected to reach Chinese iPhones through an iOS update in the coming months.
Apple China Model Built With Alibaba Support
Three people familiar with the matter described a system Apple trained itself, with Alibaba supplying technical support.
That approach breaks from the company's earlier plan, which leaned on Chinese partners to supply the models behind generative AI features on locally sold devices. Apple Intelligence should reach Chinese iPhones through an iOS update in the coming months.
The Cyberspace Administration of China registered Apple's generative AI service last month, closing a review that began after the feature briefly surfaced on Chinese iPhones in March. Regulators cleared systems from Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo at the same time.
Apple plans to run its own model beside third-party technology, including Alibaba's Qwen, with Baidu also expected to contribute. Earlier this month the company published, then pulled, a Chinese guide showing Mac owners how to link Qwen with Siri and Writing Tools. It gave no reason for the removal, and neither firm has explained how the two systems will divide the work.
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Why Apple China AI Control Matters
The proprietary model would make Apple the first foreign company Beijing has cleared to operate its own AI system inside the country. Chinese rules require every public generative service to register with the state and pass content checks before release.
That status carries weight because OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude remain unavailable there, stripping Apple of the partners it uses at home. Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai confirmed the partnership in February 2025 at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, roughly 18 months before the model surfaced.
"In the end they chose to do business with us," Tsai said, recalling talks Apple held with several Chinese companies before settling on his.
Apple China Share Climbed Without AI Features
Huawei has shipped AI-equipped handsets for two years while Apple sold none in China, a gap analysts blamed for softer iPhone demand. Apple still trails Huawei in the domestic rankings, where the Chinese maker held the top position through the second quarter.
Apple grew iPhone shipments in China by 24.4% in the second quarter, the fastest pace among major brands as the market shrank 4.3% to roughly 66 million units. Its share rose to 18.1% from 13.9% a year earlier, trailing only Huawei's 22.6%. "That gave hesitant buyers a reason to go ahead and purchase," IDC analyst Arthur Guo said of Apple's steady pricing.
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