Apple Intelligence's launch in China is imminent, IT media outlet Engadget reported on Oct. 14.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has granted regulatory approval for Alibaba's Qwen large language model (LLM) and the Tongyi Wanxiang AI image and video generation tool to be used to run Apple Intelligence.

With the approval, Apple has effectively secured the foundation to install Apple Intelligence on supported iPhones in mainland China. Apple received permission in July to launch Apple Intelligence in mainland China, but the service has not yet been applied.

The updated filings also include network access approval for the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro. The iPhone Duo is set to be released in China next week, and an improved Siri AI was presented as one of the key software features. With the timing for applying Apple Intelligence aligning with the new iPhone release schedule, the likelihood has increased that Apple will push AI features to the forefront in the China market.

China, unlike Hong Kong, has complex regulations related to AI and personal information, delaying Apple's rollout schedule. In Hong Kong, many Apple Intelligence features are already available, but mainland China required a local partnership structure that meets regulatory requirements. It means Apple's mainland China rollout has come into view nearly 2 years after Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in the United States.

Apple has built a model-training and complex query-processing system in the United States with help from Google and OpenAI. But the same approach did not work in China. Speculation that Apple was considering an indirect route by partnering with a local AI company to bring Apple Intelligence to the China market emerged from early 2025, and Alibaba was mentioned as a leading partner from that time.

This summer, it was confirmed that Qwen would become the core model for Apple Intelligence for consumers in China. The eligible devices included not only iPhones but also iPads, Macs and Vision Pro. It is a structure in which Alibaba's model is used across compatible devices sold in China.

The approval of Tongyi Wanxiang is also significant. Apple Intelligence includes image and video generation functions in addition to text processing, and under China's regulatory framework such generative functions are also subject to separate approval. To expand AI functions in China, Apple needed to secure both a language model and multimedia generation tools, and the latest permission appears to have met that requirement.

China is considered one of the markets where Apple's growth pace is fast. For Apple, with Apple Intelligence now established as a core function, not launching in China was a matter directly tied to product competitiveness. Therefore, another point to watch will be how broadly Apple Intelligence is actually applied around the release of the iPhone Duo.