Billionaire Ma’s Comment Fallout Shows Fine Line on Politics
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The fallout from comments attributed to Jack Ma about the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown highlights the balance business leaders need to strike in China between pleasing politicians and showing independence.
After the South China Morning Post newspaper quoted Ma as saying China’s rulers made the “most correct decision” in their handling of the deadly June 4, 1989, protests, activists started an online petition calling for an apology. The billionaire’s company, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., disputed the accuracy of the report, which the newspaper said it stands by.