Alibaba’s Jack Ma Vows to Defend South China Morning Post’s Independence

AlibabaGroupHoldingLtd.ExecutiveChairmanJackMadefendedhiscompany’spurchaseofHongKong’sSouthChinaMorningPost,sayingitwouldpreservethedailynewspaper’sindependence.

InaninterviewonthesidelinesofChina’sWorldInternetConferenceonWednesday,Mr.MasaidtherewasnobasistothinkthattheSCMPwouldloseeditorialindependencewhileundertheownershipofthee-commercecompanyhefounded.

“Trustus.Whydopeoplehavetothinkthatifwehaveit,itwillloseitsindependence?Whynotwithothers?”hesaid.“Wealsoreadthenewspapers.Wealsowantmediaindependenceandfairness.Whatbasisistherethatwithus,therewillbenomoreindependence?”

AskedaboutcriticswhosayAlibabawouldfeelpressurefromChineseleaderstochangethenewspaper’scoverage,hesaid,“Ithinkthosepeoplethinktoolittleofus.”

Alibabasaidlastweekitwouldbuythemore-than-a-century-oldEnglish-languagebroadsheet,adealthatownerSCMPGroupLtd.saidtotaled2.06billionHongKongdollars($266million).TheSCMPhasalonghistoryofreportingonChineseaffairsfromHongKong,aChinesecitythathasitsownlawsandhaslongenjoyedfreedomofthepress.

Alibabaisaprivately-ownedcompany,butitsextensivee-commerceandotherbusinessesonthemainlandhaveledcriticstosaythatitmaybepressuredbyBeijingtocurbthepaper’sindependencetopleaseChineseauthorities.InalettertoSCMPreaders,AlibabaExecutiveViceChairmanJoeTsaisaid,“China’sriseasaneconomicpoweranditsimportancetoworldstabilityistooimportantfortheretobeasingularthesis.”

AskedwhetherAlibabawasrequestedbyauthoritiestopurchasetheSCMP,Mr.Masaid,“Ihavealwaysencounteredspeculationfromotherpeople.IfIhadtobotheraboutwhatotherpeoplespeculatedabout,howwouldIgetanythingdone?”

HesaidAlibabahadyettomeetwithSCMPexecutivestodiscussbringingitscontenttothemainland.

Regardingthoseexecutives,hesaid,“Thecrucialthingistoletthemknowintheirheartsthattheyhaveanindependentplatformandtheycanhavetheirownbeliefs.”Headded,“Inourhands,itshouldgetevenmorerespectandattentionandnotbepersecuted.”