Alibaba fires back at allegations of assisting Chinese Military, labels it ‘malicious PR operation'

Chinese tech giant Alibaba denied allegations that it helped Beijing target the United States, calling a recent media report “completely false,” AFP reported.

According to a White House memo cited by the Financial Times (FT), on Saturday, Alibaba is reportedly providing tech support for Chinese military operations against the United States.

What were the allegations against Alibaba?

The memo noted that Alibaba provides customer data, such as "IP addresses, WiFi details, and payment records," to Chinese authorities and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). However, FT stated it was unable to independently verify the claims, mentioning that the White House considers the actions a threat to US security.

What did Alibaba say?

Addressing the accusations, an Alibaba Group spokesperson told AFP “the assertions and innuendos in the article are completely false.”

The company called the memo a “malicious PR operation (that) clearly came from a rogue voice looking to undermine President Trump's recent trade deal with China,” the report said.

The conflict highlights ongoing tensions between Beijing and Washington, both countries aiming for technological dominance.

After returning to the White House earlier this year, US President Donald Trump, trade tensions between the world's two largest economies escalated.

Following months of imposing tariffs on each other, Trump and Xi Jinping reached a one-year truce in late October.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for China's embassy in the United States also refuted the claims made in the reported memo.

"The Chinese government... will never require companies or individuals to collect or provide data located in foreign countries in violation of local laws," Liu Pengyu wrote on X.

Concerns over spying

The report also mentions the growing worries in the US regarding China's possible deployment of advanced spying technology.

California-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic on Thursday said that it had identified and thwarted what it called the first recorded cyber-espionage operation carried out primarily by autonomous AI systems.

Anthropic said that the activities were attributed to a "Chinese state-sponsored group" designated as GTG-1002.

Meanwhile, in a news conference on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said he was “not familiar with the specifics”, when asked about the report, further noting that Beijing had consistently stood up against hacking activities.

(With inputs from AFP)