Apple’s rollout of artificial intelligence services in China with Alibaba is being held up by a Beijing regulator, as the tech partnership becomes the latest casualty of Donald Trump’s trade war. The tech giants have been working together to launch Apple Intelligence, the iPhone-maker’s suite of AI services, for Chinese users. The system would be supported by Alibaba’s latest models. Multiple AI products co-developed by the tech companies have been submitted this year to China’s internet authority for approval. But their applications are stalled at the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), two people familiar with the matter said, citing increasing geopolitical uncertainties between China and the US. Apple has suffered in particular from growing tensions between Washington and Beijing, despite chief executive Tim Cook’s efforts to win favour with the White House ahead of Trump’s second term. The US president has pressured Apple, whose growth into one of the world’s most valuable companies has been propelled by its manufacturing operation in China, to bring production back to the US. Last month, Trump threatened Apple and Samsung with 25 per cent tariffs on their devices unless the companies reshored their manufacturing.

Full report : Partnership between US and Chinese tech groups stalled by Beijing regulator in wake of geopolitical tensions.