Apple Trains Its Own AI Model for China — With Alibaba's Help

Apple has trained its own large language model for the Chinese market to power Apple Intelligence features there, Reuters reported on August 14, citing people familiar with the matter. Alibaba supported the development — and regulatory approval reportedly makes Apple the first foreign company allowed to offer a proprietary AI model in China.

The move marks a strategic shift. Apple had widely been expected to rely primarily on models from local providers in China. Instead, the company is pursuing a dual-track strategy: its own China-trained model as the foundation, supplemented by Alibaba's Qwen as an optional extension, similar to the ChatGPT integration in other markets.

The backdrop is fierce competition with Huawei and other domestic smartphone makers, whose devices have long shipped with locally developed AI features. Apple repeatedly had to delay Apple Intelligence in China because generative AI services must complete a government registration process there.

The rollout of AI features in China is now expected “in the coming months.” In a curious footnote, guidance on connecting Siri to Qwen briefly appeared on Apple's support pages before being withdrawn within a day.

For the industry, the case illustrates how geopolitical fragmentation is forcing separate technology stacks: competing in the Chinese market requires locally registered models, local partners, and local infrastructure — even for the world's most valuable company.