Jack Ma The billionaire trying to stop coronavirus: In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, China’s most wealthy person, Jack Ma, opened his account on Twitter last month.
So far, all the tweets he has tweeted are all about the medical supplies being sent to countries around the world. Hardly any country in the world has remained untouched by this unmatched campaign of Chinese industrialist Jack Ma.
In his first message, Jack Ma wrote enthusiastically, “One world, one fight!” His second message was, “Together we can do this!”
More than 150 countries have received medical supplies sent by billionaire industrialist Jack Ma. This medical supply includes everything from face masks to ventilators.
Countries that have fallen behind in the competition to get life-saving medical supplies have also benefited.
Jack Ma The billionaire trying to stop coronavirus and fix China’s reputation
What is being achieved generously?
But Jack Ma’s critics and even some of his supporters are not able to understand what he is getting from this generosity?
They have not presented themselves as friendly faces of the ruling Communist Party of China, taking the risk of becoming contributors of generosity for the whole world?
Or are they a self-employed players whom the Communist Party is using for its propaganda?
Those who ask Jack Ma such questions range from his critics to his supporters.
It seems that they are following the rules of China’s diplomacy especially when they decide which country should get the benefit of their donation.
But there are also its dangers. Jack Ma may become a target of jealous leaders sitting in the top of the Communist Party in power due to his growing influence in China.
Jack Ma at number 12
It is not that Jack Ma tops the crowd of industrialists who show generosity.
Many other industrialists have donated far more money to fight the coronavirus epidemic.
Jack Dorsey of Twitter has announced a billion dollars.
American Monitoring Organization ‘Candid’, which monitors donations from industrialists’ private accounts, says that Jack Ma is at number 12 in the list of donors of COVID-19.
But there is no mention of medical supplies considered necessary in this list. In the situation of the epidemic of COVID-19 today, in some countries, medical supplies are more important than the help of money.
There is also a truth that in this list of industrialists, only Jack Ma is the one who can deliver medical supplies to the poor countries.
Politically sensitive
Since March, the ‘Jack Ma Foundation‘ and the associated ‘Alibaba Foundation’ have started sending cargo supplies to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and even Iran, Israel, Russia and the United States, which are said to be politically sensitive.
Jack Ma has also given millions of rupees for the research of Coronavirus vaccine. The handbook of medical advice of doctors treating coronavirus infection in his home state of Zhejiang has been translated from Chinese into 16 other languages.
But the headlines are being sent that the medical supplies being sent by Jack Ma. Duncan Clarke, who wrote a biography of Jack Ma, says, “Jack Ma has the money, the clout and the ability to land a plane with medical supplies from Hangzhou in Ethiopia’s capital, or wherever it is needed in the world.”
It is. It is the business of logistics. This is what their company does. Their people, their state is the same business for everyone. “
A friendly face
Jack Ma’s fame is that of a charismatic English teacher who created China’s biggest technology company.
Jack Ma’s Alibaba is also called ‘Amazon of the East’.
In 1999, Jack Ma started his company in a small apartment in the coastal city of Hangzhou called China’s production hub.
Since then, Alibaba has made its place in the important companies of the world’s second-largest economy, moving forward on the path of progress.
Ali Baba’s presence is in China’s Internet business, banking and entertainment industry, everywhere.
Jack Ma himself has more than 40 billion dollars in his own status.
In 2018, he officially relinquished the position of chairman of Alibaba.
Then he said that he is going to focus on philanthropy. But he has retained a permanent place in Alibaba’s board.
He is one of the most powerful figures in China, both in terms of wealth and fame.
China’s diplomacy
It seems that in the generosity of Jack Ma, the guidelines of the Communist Party of China are completely taken care of.
Jack Ma and Alibaba Foundation have not given any help to any country which has any kind of formal relationship with Taiwan.
Taiwan is China’s neighbour and diplomatic rival.
Jack Ma said on Twitter that he is helping 22 countries of Latin America.
Countries such as Honduras and Heti, which favoured Taiwan, had sought medical supplies from China, but could not make it to the country’s list of 150 countries.
Despite repeated demands, Jack Ma and the Alibaba Foundation refused to release the full list of countries to receive help.
They say that at the moment they are not sharing information in such detail.
However, there is no doubt that in the countries that have received this help, there is a lot of goodwill in China.
Jack Ma mentioned as the equivalent of Xi Jinping
Barring the difficulty of delivering medical supplies to Cuba and Eritrea, shipments sent by Jack Ma and the Alibaba Foundation reached their destination and were well received there.
The positive things about Jack Ma have increased with this feat.
As much as President Xi Jinping is mentioned in China’s official media, Jack Ma’s name is also taken almost as often.
This is an uncomfortable situation for which Jack Ma is probably not ready.
While Jack Ma is only getting accolades, Xi Jinping also has to face questions.
These questions are asked from Jinping how he faced it at the beginning of the epidemic.
The Chinese government has sent medical teams and other important items to many affected countries. Most of the countries receiving help are from Europe and South-East Asia.
Focus on Africa on the agenda
However, many attempts to deliver medical supplies have also failed.
Many countries have accused China of sending poor quality medical supplies. Such countries refused to use it.
At some places, negative reactions have also been faced with medical help.
But in contrast, Jack Ma’s shipments have further enhanced his reputation everywhere.
Eric Olander, managing editor of the website and podcast ‘China Africa Project’, says, “It would not be wrong to say that Jack Ma’s help has been appreciated throughout Africa.”
Jack Ma has promised to travel to all African countries, and he has been coming here regularly since retirement.
Eric Olander says, “Once a medical supply arrives in a country, how they use it depends on the government of that country. Hence the complaints about how the delivery of this medical supply within Nigeria done, this is a completely domestic problem for Nigeria.
Rwanda leader Paul Kagem has described Jack Ma’s initiative as a big help. All are seeing that this help reaches those areas of the world. It is where it is needed so much, and no other person is able to do it on such a large scale. “
Jack Ma on the tough road
But Jack Ma is also risking a confrontation in the capital Beijing. Xi Jinping is not counted among those who share headlines with someone else. His government has targeted famous faces earlier in the past.
In recent years, a famous Chinese actress, a popular news anchor and several other billionaire industrialists had ‘disappeared for a long time’.
Some of them, including that popular news anchor, are now serving jail terms. Some have returned after being in custody. But he had to test the loyalty of the party for this.
Ashley Fang, the research associate at the Center for New American Security, a Washington DC-based thinker, says, “When he stepped down as chairman of the Alibaba Group in 2018, Jack Ma was rumoured to have done so because of his popularity with the Communist Party.
His retirement decision shocked many people, and he constantly denied that the Chinese government forced him to do so.
The meeting of Trump and Jack Ma
Duncan Clarke, who wrote his biography, is also aware of reports that Jack Ma was sidelined from the Alibaba Group due to an incident in January 2017.
At that time, Jack Ma met the newly elected President, Donald Trump, in the Trump Tower.
The reason for the meeting was told about the talks about Sino-US trade. President Xi Jinping met President Trump several months later.
Says Duncan Clarke, “There were a lot of rumours about it at the time. It was being said that Jack Ma showed haste. I think both sides have a lesson in this need to coordinate.”
“Jack Ma represents the industry’s soft power to an extent. However, it also has its challenges because the government is jealous of people who do not hold any position in the party and are taking up such responsibilities.”
Technically speaking, Jack Ma does not appear communist from anywhere. Although China’s wealthiest industrialist has been a member of the Communist Party since the eighties, then he used to be a university student.
Relations with the ruling Communist Party
But Jack Ma’s relationship with the ruling Communist Party of China has always been complicated.
It is also said that Alibaba’s attitude towards the Communist Party is such that “love is done but don’t get married”.
Even though Jack Ma and his charity organizations are making decisions without the blessings of the government, but China has taken advantage of the generosity of this industrialist.
China’s ambassadors from Sierra Leone to Cambodia have been attending a formal program to hand over the medical supplies sent by Jack Ma at the airport to the government of that country.
China has also used Jack Ma’s generosity in criticizing America.
In early April, China’s Foreign Ministry tweeted, “The US State Department has described Taiwan as a true friend and has given 2 million masks. But the US State Department has over a million covers and 500 testing kits sent by Jack Ma. “
What is the power of jack ma?
Whatever happened to other people who were targeted by the skeptical eye of the ruling Communist Party, perhaps Jack Ma should overcome it.
China needs a popular Chinese face just like them in the world.
In this sense, Jack Ma is at the stage that no other Chinese citizen can reach. This thing makes them necessary.
Eric Olander explains, “Many foreigners come to Africa, make big promises and often fail. But Jack Ma fulfills that when he says he will do something.
Even in the pandemic of COVID-19, he himself Proven. They said that they would help and within weeks the mask reached the hands of the health workers. “
Duncan Clarke believes that Jack Ma has already made his place in the top line of China on the strength of Alibaba’s business status.
Clarke says, “When China tries to improve its image in global politics, Jack Ma’s relationships with leaders around the world make him extremely important for China.”
Opportunity to improve the image of china
Clarke explains, “He has shown his ability. He has had many successful IPOs under his leadership. He has many friends abroad. He has the skills to make friends and impress people.
He’s Dale Carnegie of China. And there’s no denying that we have seen some people of the Chinese government teasing him. But now is the time to work together anyway. “
There is no doubt that China is getting a chance to improve its image due to the charity of Jack Ma and other rich industrialists.
Andrew Grabois of the monitoring organization ‘Candide’ says that it is impossible to ignore the donations from Chinese industrialists.
He says, “Chinese industrialists are leading the way. America used to do this before.”
The coronavirus epidemic has given this opportunity to Chinese industrialists.
Andrew Grabois says, “They are taking their soft power out of bounds. They are going to Corona-affected areas. Helping, Providing money and expertise.”
Therefore, this is not the right time for China to stand in Jack Ma’s path.
And as Duncan Clarke says, “You know this is a time of crisis for the world. China’s relations with the rest of the world are also in crisis. So they need a man who can help them with these pressures.”
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