Shares of Alibaba and Baidu rallied sharply in Hong Kong trading Thursday after both companies confirmed partnerships with Apple to deploy their artificial intelligence tools.
Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed stock climbed 5% following the announcement that its Qwen AI model would be integrated into Apple’s services.
This development arrives as Baidu prepares to spin off its AI chip division, Kunlunxin, in an initial public offering targeting a $5 billion valuation.
The move marks a significant commercial bridge between US hardware dominance and Chinese AI development, even as geopolitical tensions between the two economies continue to escalate.
The partnership underscores the growing commercial imperative for Apple to access diverse AI capabilities, while offering Alibaba and Baidu a critical distribution channel for their large language models.
For investors, the deal validates the monetization potential of Chinese AI infrastructure outside of domestic markets, providing a tangible revenue stream amid broader regulatory uncertainties in Beijing.
This development arrives as Baidu prepares to spin off its AI chip division, Kunlunxin, in an initial public offering targeting a $5 billion valuation.