China gives green light to Alibaba models for Apple Intelligence ahead of iPhone Duo launch

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has approved Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen) large language models and the Tongyi Wanxiang AI image-and-video tool for use in Apple Intelligence, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The regulatory filings also include network access permits for the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, with the iPhone Duo set to launch in China in the fourth week of October 2026, featuring the new Siri AI as a headline software function.

Apple received clearance to bring Apple Intelligence to mainland China back in July 2026, but has not yet made it available. The approval comes nearly two years after Apple Intelligence debuted in the US, and after a lengthy wait driven by China's strict requirements for AI and privacy regulation. Most Apple Intelligence features are already available in Hong Kong.

In the US, Apple has worked with Google and OpenAI to train its models and handle complex queries. Reports that Apple would partner with Chinese AI companies first emerged in early 2025, with Alibaba named as a likely partner. By the summer of 2025, it was confirmed that Qwen would be central to Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro models sold in China.