Apple has trained a China-specific AI model with support from Alibaba as it works to bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese iPhones through an iOS update in the coming months, Reuters reported. The news outlet said the Cyberspace Administration of China registered Apple's generative AI service last month, clearing a key regulatory hurdle that has kept OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude unavailable in the country and potentially making Apple the first foreign company allowed to operate its own proprietary AI model in China. Apple plans to pair its model with Alibaba's Qwen and technology from Baidu, though their respective roles remain unclear. The push comes after setbacks in Apple's AI strategy, including delays to Apple Intelligence, a January decision to use Google's Gemini for next-generation Foundation Models instead of a proprietary design, and a May agreement to pay $250 million to settle claims that it misled iPhone buyers about AI features that were unavailable at launch. The delay has left Apple behind Chinese rivals such as Huawei, while Siri AI, unveiled in June, is set to enter beta later this year but will remain unavailable in China until regulatory requirements are met.