Chinese technology giant Alibaba has found itself at the center of a heated debate after the Financial Times published information from a White House memorandum. The document claims that Alibaba provides technical support to the Chinese military in operations targeting the US. According to the report obtained by the Financial Times, Alibaba provides Chinese authorities and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) with customer data, including IP addresses, information about WiFi networks, and payment records. This data could jeopardize US security, according to the White House, although the Financial Times notes that these claims could not be independently verified.
Alibaba responded quickly to the allegations. A company spokesperson told AFP that the claims and insinuations in the article were "completely false." The Hangzhou-based company described the memorandum as a "malicious PR operation," apparently initiated by someone seeking to undermine the recent trade agreement between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. This accusation is part of a long-running dispute between Beijing and Washington over technological dominance.
Rejection from the Chinese side
The Chinese embassy in the US also rejected the allegations. Spokesperson Liu Pengyu stated on the X platform that the Chinese government "never requires companies or individuals to collect or provide data from foreign countries in violation of local laws." Tensions between the US and China are rising again. After Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, the bitter trade war resumed, including reciprocal tariffs. It was only at the end of last month that Trump and Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year truce, which is now being threatened by this memorandum.
The report comes amid growing concern in Washington about China's use of advanced technologies for espionage. For example, US artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic announced on Thursday that it had detected and blocked the first documented cyberespionage campaign conducted largely autonomously by AI. The activity was attributed to a Chinese state-sponsored group designated GTG-1002. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday that he was not familiar with the details, but emphasized that Beijing consistently combats hacking activities.
This incident sheds light on the complex relationships between technology companies and governments. Alibaba faces pressure from both sides. While the US sees such practices as a threat, China rejects the allegations as unfounded. For the average person, this means that the data we share online—such as payment information or location data via WiFi—could be misused in international disputes. Nevertheless, Alibaba insists that no such data sharing is taking place and is calling for evidence rather than speculation.
Sources: ft.com and newindianexpress.com
