The CEO of Alibaba, Jack Ma, visited Australia over the weekend. During his visit down under, the second-richest man in China had a strong warning for Donald Trump and Trump’s foreign policy ideas.
Ma was in Australia celebrating the opening of a new Alibaba Australia headquarters. At the event, Jack Ma told attendees “Everybody is concerned about trade wars. If trade stops, war starts.”
According to Business Insider Australia, Jack Ma explained” Trade is about trade of values. Trade of culture.”
“We have to actively prove that trade helps people to communicate,” Ma added.
Trans-Pacific Partnership deal
Since Donald Trump started his presidential campaign, Trump has called for making trade policies that put “America first.” One of his recent actions as President of the U.S. was to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. The TPP is a free trade agreement between several Asia-Pacific countries.
Moreover, the TPP is a free trade agreement between several Asia-Pacific countries. The TPP trade was a deal between several countries including Australia, Japan, United States, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, New Zealand, Peru, and Singapore. However, after Trump pulled out of the deal, the TPP agreement could not be ratified.
The Obama administration claimed the partnership would help increase economic growth, create new jobs, increase productivity, competition and reduce poverty.
“The result is a high-standard, ambitious, comprehensive, and balanced agreement that will promote economic growth; support the creation and retention of jobs; enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness; raise living standards; reduce poverty in our countries; and promote transparency, good governance, and enhanced labor and environmental protections,” the Obama administration said in a statement.
It is important to note Donald Trump met with Jack Ma earlier this month. At that time, Trump praised Ma had promised to bring jobs to the United States. After a nearly hour-long meeting with Trump, Jack Ma said his plan was to create a million jobs in the United States over the next five years by helping small businesses sell their goods and services in China.
In 2012, Alibaba had over $100 billion sales. Then in 2013, the company accounted for 60% of all mail delivered in China. But by 2014, Alibaba Group accounted for 80% of the country’s online sales.