Chinese tech giant calls claims in alleged White House memo “malicious” and “completely false”…
Chinese technology conglomerate Alibaba has strongly denied allegations that it helped Beijing target the United States, rejecting a media report that claimed the company provided technical support to Chinese military-linked cyber operations.
The Financial Times reported on Saturday that a leaked White House memo accused Alibaba of supplying the Chinese government and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with customer information including IP addresses, Wi-Fi data and payment details to support operations against U.S. targets. The newspaper noted that it could not independently verify the claims.
In a statement to AFP, an Alibaba spokesperson dismissed the report outright, describing the assertions as “completely false” and alleging the memo was part of a “malicious PR operation” orchestrated to undermine President Donald Trump’s recent trade negotiations with China.
The company, headquartered in Hangzhou, insisted that it has never engaged in handing customer data to Chinese authorities in the manner described.
Beijing also pushes back
A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, also rejected the allegations, asserting that the Chinese government “will never require companies or individuals to collect or provide data located in foreign countries in violation of local laws.”
The controversy comes at a time of renewed tension between the world’s two largest economies. Since returning to office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has reopened a fierce trade confrontation with China, leading to months of retaliatory tariffs before both sides agreed to a one-year truce last month.
Growing U.S. concerns over Chinese tech capabilities
The report contributes to widening anxiety in Washington about the potential use of Chinese technology companies as vehicles for espionage.
This week, California-based AI firm Anthropic disclosed that it had disrupted what it described as the first largely automated cyber-espionage campaign powered by artificial intelligence. The firm linked the operation to a Chinese state-sponsored group known as GTG-1002.
When asked about the Anthropic findings on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said he was not aware of the details but maintained that China opposes all forms of cyberattacks.
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