Apple’s localisation push in China aims to bridge Mac market gap with AI integration

Apple has introduced instructions for connecting Alibaba’s Qwen AI with Siri on Mac in China, signalling a strategic move to counter declining market share amid rising local competition.

Apple has published instructions for eligible Mac users in mainland China to connect Alibaba’s Qwen AI service to Siri and its Writing Tools feature, a move that points to a more localised approach as it tries to strengthen its position in China’s artificial intelligence PC market. Apple’s own support material says Siri on Mac can be linked with third-party AI services in some regions, although Apple Intelligence is not available on every model or in every market.

The change matters because Apple has been losing ground in mainland China’s PC market, where domestic vendors have leaned heavily on locally developed AI functions. According to Omdia data cited by Reuters, Mac shipments in China fell 9% in the first quarter of 2026 to about 800,000 units, leaving Apple with 9% of the market. Lenovo held 31% and Huawei 16%.

That China weakness comes even as Apple’s broader Mac business has shown signs of improvement elsewhere. IDC data reported by MacRumors showed global Mac shipments rising 9% in the first quarter of 2026 to 6.2 million units, giving Apple a 9.5% share of the worldwide PC market. The divergence underlines how differently Apple is performing across major markets, with China remaining the tougher competitive battleground.

Apple’s ability to tie Siri more closely to local AI services may help it respond to those pressures, but the practical impact will depend on how widely Chinese users adopt the feature and whether it narrows the appeal gap with rivals that have built AI capabilities directly into their devices and software. For now, the move suggests Apple is trying to adapt its software stack to local expectations rather than rely on a one-size-fits-all approach.