A few things on my radar #12
Jack Ma; Jack Ma again; Apple
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Jack Ma
China’s Xi Jinping to hold high-level meeting on Monday with top tech entrepreneurs, Jack Ma is included
Chinese President Xi Jinping will host a meeting next week with some of the nation’s top entrepreneurs - Between 20 and 30 founders and chief executives from China’s largest technology companies were expected to assemble in Beijing on Monday, said SCMP.
According to sources, the invited companies include Huawei, Tencent, Xiaomi, DeepSeek, Alibaba, and Unitree Robotics.
“China has invited prominent entrepreneurs including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma to meet the nation’s top leaders…This may be interpreted as a friendly signal between the government and the private sector.. Few China watchers expect the government to revert to its pre-2020 stance,” said Bloomberg.
In fact, as I mentioned in my previous post, when Alibaba secured two slots to sponsor the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, it became evident that the Chinese government's attitude toward Jack Ma had shifted significantly. Therefore, what is happening today is completely understandable and comes as no surprise.
The real question worth asking is: What will next week's meeting be about? What roles will Jack Ma, Liang, and private enterprises play in China's economic and political landscape going forward? Will private entrepreneurs receive greater support, autonomy, and even political voice? Or will they simply become puppets of the CCP?
Jack Ma Again
Where is Jack Ma before his meeting with Xi?
Xianyu, Hangzhou
Xianyu is a thriving community for young people seeking ways to save and earn money. As I mentioned before, it contrasts with Xiaohongshu - while Xiaohongshu encourages spending, Xianyu promotes saving and sustainable lifestyel.
Quark, Hangzhou
Quark is an AI-powered search product targeting young users. Though smaller in scale than leading search products, Quark has experienced significant growth recently.
Freshippo, Changsha
Freshippo, also known as Hema, is a grocery chain that has undergone a recent revival, offering a distinctive user experience that sets it apart from Aldi and Sam's Club.
Before heading to Beijing, Jack Ma visited three emerging business sectors under Alibaba’s umbrella, traveling from Hangzhou (China's emerging Silicon Valley) to Changsha (a vibrant consumption hub known for its young population and never-sleep vibe). Is this simply a gesture of interest in Alibaba's high-potential business, or might it be linked to Monday's meeting?
Apple
Despite bringing Alibaba on board, Apple continues its collaboration with Baidu on AI features for iPhone users in China, said The Information
Late last year, The Information reported Apple hits snags adapting Baidu's AI models for China users — Apple and Baidu's collaboration to adapt Baidu's LLMs for iPhone has hit roadblocks due to model performance and accuracy issues. The companies are also at odds over data collection: Baidu seeks to gather iPhone user data for model training, which conflicts with Apple's strict privacy policies.
Feb 11, 2025, The Information reported that Apple has recently partnered with Alibaba Group to develop AI features for the Chinese market. Few days later, The Information said Apple continues to work with Baidu on AI features for iPhone users in China, even after bringing Alibaba on board — Baidu has been developing an AI-powered search feature that can handle images and text and upgrades to the Chinese version of Siri voice assistant.
In fact, without Baidu's involvement, I would be very optimistic about Apple's sales forecast after launching AI features. However, as I mentioned before, the partnership with Baidu will inevitably face some user backlash as people have long-standing concerns about its business ethics. Honestly, I'm unsure how much this collaboration will ultimately affect Apple's sales, but at the very least, many users have already started complaining about Apple's decision online — see the screenshot below.
