On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China has approved Apple’s generative AI offering for the Chinese market. This move comes as part of a deal to integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI model into Apple's operating systems.

In a separate confirmation, Baidu’s spokesperson told TechCrunch that the tech giant is also collaborating with Apple on developing features tailored specifically for Chinese users. The integration marks an important step in Apple’s ambitions within China’s crucial market.

This development underlines Apple’s strategy to adapt its AI services to better suit local preferences and regulatory requirements, following a period of delays due to lack of approval from Chinese regulators. With Greater China generating $20.5 billion in sales for the tech giant in Q2 2024, this move could significantly boost its market presence.

The deal with Alibaba is not Apple’s only focus: it has also been exploring integrations with DeepSeek and ByteDance. However, the Baidu partnership offers a direct pathway to enhance user experience for Chinese audiences across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS platforms.