US-China trade tensions fuel misconceptions about role of Chinese tech firms, says Alibaba Cloud executive
- Alibaba Cloud, which started operations in Europe in 2016, was the world’s fourth-biggest cloud services provider last year
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, warns that a lingering misconception of how Chinese technology providers operate – in light of the recent travails of Huawei Technologies – could become a barrier to doing business in Europe and other international markets.
“We’ve seen how some companies have reacted to that situation because of a lack of understanding of how Chinese tech companies operate,” Wang Yeming, the general manager of Alibaba Cloud for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in an interview on the sidelines of MWC Barcelona, the biggest trade show for the mobile industry, which concluded on Thursday.
Chinese tech providers have the same commitment to innovation, efficiency and security as hi-tech firms from the West, according to Wang.
“In general, we need some time to let people understand the role that Chinese tech companies play. We need time for mutual understanding,” he said.
Wang’s statement comes amid efforts by Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment supplier, to change how the company is perceived by businesses in Europe, one of its largest regional markets, as the US government puts pressure on its economic allies on the continent to block the deployment of Huawei’s 5G gear by telecoms network operators because of cybersecurity concerns.