Alibaba Stock Falls as Trump Administration Scrutinizes Apple AI Deal in China

Alibaba shares dropped 3.8% to HK$118.60 on Monday, leading losses on the Hang Seng Index, which dipped 0.2%. The decline followed a New York Times report that the Trump administration is reviewing a major AI partnership between Alibaba Group and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

The U.S. government is reportedly concerned about national security risks tied to a deal that would integrate Alibaba’s AI technology into Apple iPhones sold in China. Officials fear the partnership could boost China’s AI capabilities, widen the influence of Alibaba’s AI bots, and expose Apple to China’s strict data regulations and censorship policies.

For Alibaba, the deal offers a significant opportunity to advance its AI ambitions by tapping into Apple’s vast user base in China. However, potential U.S. intervention could derail these plans, especially after the company’s cloud unit reported underwhelming earnings for Q1.

Apple, meanwhile, sees the partnership as a way to finally launch its Apple Intelligence features in China—its second-largest market after North America. Due to regulatory requirements, Apple must work with a domestic partner to deploy AI features in the country. While Apple’s AI tools use OpenAI models globally, no such capabilities have been rolled out in China yet.

Alibaba was named Apple’s AI partner earlier this year, but it remains unclear whether the integration has officially begun. As the Trump administration reviews the arrangement, both companies face mounting uncertainty over the future of AI deployment in China.