Apple’s artificial intelligence ambitions for China provoke Washington’s resistance

Apple believes the future success of the iPhone depends on the availability of new artificial intelligence features. But tensions between Washington and Beijing may cripple the tech giant’s plans to deliver AI in its second-most-important market, China.

In recent months, the White House and congressional officials have been scrutinizing Apple’s plan to strike a deal with Alibaba to make the Chinese company’s AI available on iPhones in China, three people familiar with the deliberations said. They are concerned that the deal would help a Chinese…