China releases Apple Intelligence – with Qwen and Baidu

China's cyberspace regulator has registered Apple Intelligence for iPhones in the country, thus clearing the biggest hurdle for its launch in its most important foreign market. This is made possible by two domestically developed AI models. Apple Intelligence has been running in the EU for some time – the only thing missing there is the new AI-powered assistant, but for a completely different reason.

The new AI-powered assistant and other Apple Intelligence features from iOS 27 are currently only available in beta, in English, and in a limited number of countries. China was considered the most challenging market because its laws only permit generative AI in partnership with a Chinese provider. This condition has now been met: The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has officially registered Apple's device-side AI service and added it to the list of approved providers – alongside domestic companies like Huawei and Xiaomi. The fact that Apple is currently making significant gains in China despite the shrinking market makes this approval doubly valuable for the company.

Two Chinese models instead of one

The real innovation lies in the underlying architecture. Apple Intelligence will rely on models from two different providers in China. Alibaba officially confirmed that its Qwen model will be integrated into the AI features of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for Chinese users. A second model, according to an unnamed source (via Reuters), comes from Baidu.

This move has a longer history. That Alibaba would become Apple's AI partner in China was already apparent in early 2025 – the current registration is the regulatory conclusion of a process that lasted over a year. Apple itself has not yet confirmed the report. The confirmation came from Alibaba, not from Cupertino.

A launch date has not yet been set. The official announcement did not specify when the new AI-powered assistant will appear on iPhones sold in China. Registration is a prerequisite, not the actual launch.

The stock market reacts more clearly than Apple itself

The news was received by the market. Alibaba shares rose by around five percent in pre-market trading in the US, while Apple and Baidu each gained about one percent. The reason for Alibaba's stronger increase is obvious: Qwen, with its hundreds of millions of iPhones in China, achieves a reach that no individual contract can otherwise offer.

The timing coincides with a period in which Apple is already making waves in the Chinese market. iPhone shipments in the country rose by 24.4 percent in the second quarter of 2026, while the overall market shrank by 4.3 percent – propelling Apple from fifth to second place behind Huawei. Locally developed AI could bolster this upward trend, while Chinese competitors like Xiaomi suffered double-digit losses.

What this means for users in Germany and Austria

For the German-speaking market, the approval in China is above all one thing: a contrast. In China, the hurdle lay in AI law, which requires a domestic partner – this condition has now been met. In the EU, the hurdle lies elsewhere, and it has not yet been overcome.

Siri AI will launch this fall with iOS 27, but not on iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple cites the interoperability requirements of the Digital Markets Act and has yet to announce a release date. All 27 EU member states are affected, including Germany and Austria. Switzerland is neither in the EU nor the EEA and is not affected by the restriction – Siri AI works there as it does in the rest of the world. The feature is available on Macs and Vision Pro in the EU, initially in English.

Tim Cook is working with Brussels to find a way to bring the feature to European iPhones. In both cases, the issue recently revolved around regulation, not technology – but the starting points are different: In China, the legal hurdle for Apple Intelligence has now been cleared, while in the EU it remains unclear how Apple will reconcile the new assistant with the DMA (Digital Access Management).

The rollout is gaining momentum – the EU gap remains

In China, the biggest legal hurdle for Apple Intelligence has been cleared. Apple had promised to roll out the new features "quickly" to other countries and languages, and the registration with the CAC is a concrete step in that direction – even though a launch date for the Chinese market is still pending. For Apple, this makes the global expansion of AI a bit more predictable.

What remains for iPhone and iPad users in the EU is the gap in the new assistant – and it's not a technical one, but a regulatory one. Apple has found a way to comply with strict AI laws in China. Whether a similar approach will be successful with the DMA is the crucial question for users between Munich and Vienna. (Image: Shutterstock / Primakov)