Jack Ma Defends Alibaba Purchase of South China Morning Post

Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Executive Chairman Jack Ma defended his company’s purchase of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, saying it would preserve the daily newspaper’s independence.

In an interview on the sidelines of China’s World Internet Conference on Wednesday, Mr. Ma said there was no basis to think that the SCMP would lose editorial independence while under the ownership of the e-commerce company he founded.

“Trust us. Why do people have to think that if we have it, it will lose its independence? Why not with others?” he said. “We also read the newspapers. We also want media independence and fairness. What basis is there that with us, there will be no more independence?”

Asked about critics who say Alibaba would feel pressure from Chinese leaders to change the newspaper’s coverage, he said, “I think those people think too little of us.”

Alibaba said last week it would buy the 112-year-old English-language newspaper, a deal that owner SCMP Group Ltd. said totaled 2.06 billion Hong Kong dollars ($266 million). The SCMP has a long history of reporting on Chinese affairs from Hong Kong, a Chinese city that has its own laws and has long enjoyed freedom of the press.

Alibaba is a privately-owned company, but its extensive e-commerce and other businesses on the mainland have led critics to say that it may be pressured by Beijing to curb the paper’s independence to please Chinese authorities.

In a letter to SCMP readers, Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai said, “China’s rise as an economic power and its importance to world stability is too important for there to be a singular thesis.”

Asked whether Alibaba was requested by authorities to purchase the SCMP, Mr. Ma said, “I have always encountered speculation from other people. If I had to bother about what other people speculated about, how would I get anything done?”

He said Alibaba had yet to meet with SCMP executives to discuss bringing its content to the mainland.

Regarding those executives, he said, “The crucial thing is to let them know in their hearts that they have an independent platform and they can have their own beliefs.” He added, “In our hands, it should get even more respect and attention and not be persecuted.”