Chinese technology giant Alibaba has strongly denied media reports alleging that it provides technical support for China’s military operations aimed at US targets. The Hangzhou-based firm told AFP on Saturday that the recent media report was “completely false.”
The denial follows a report in the Financial Times (FT), which cited a White House memo claiming that Alibaba transfers customer data—including IP addresses, WiFi information, and payment records—to Chinese authorities and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The FT noted it could not independently verify the claims, which the White House reportedly views as a threat to US national security.
Company Slams Leak as ‘Malicious PR’
An Alibaba Group spokesperson issued a firm denial, stating, “The assertions and innuendos in the article are completely false.” The company went further, labelling the alleged memo leak as a “malicious PR operation” aimed at damaging President Trump’s recent trade truce with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
The Chinese embassy in the United States also rejected the claims, with spokesman Liu Pengyu stating the Chinese government “will never require companies or individuals to collect or provide data located in foreign countries in violation of local laws.”
Heightened US-China Tech Tension
The dispute underscores the persistent suspicions and rivalry between Washington and Beijing over technological superiority and cyber espionage.
The report surfaced just days after a separate incident where California-based AI firm Anthropic reported detecting and disrupting the first documented cyber-espionage campaign conducted largely autonomously by artificial intelligence. Anthropic attributed these activities to a “Chinese state-sponsored group” designated as GTG-1002, further adding to Washington’s concerns about the potential misuse of advanced Chinese technology.
When questioned about the report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian declined to address the specifics but maintained that Beijing consistently fights against hacking activities.
