Alibaba will partner with Apple to support iPhones' AI services offering in China, its chairman said on Thursday, a move likely to help the U.S. company ease falling smartphone sales in its key market.

Alibaba has announced that it is partnering with Apple to provide artificial intelligence features to iPhones in China. Apple Intelligence features have not yet been enabled in China, which is thought to have contributed to the company’s local decline in smartphone sales.

Apple's deal to put Alibaba Group Holding's artificial intelligence (AI) models on the iPhone has Chinese developers buzzing about the potential of the partnership ahead of the US tech giant's conference in Shanghai next month.