First Alipay, then a “European” Alibaba
During King Filip’s official state visit to China, an informal meeting with seven of China’s biggest entrepreneurs took place, including Jack Ma. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders, Ma wants to open several “Alibaba Embassies” across Europe to get better acquainted with the local market. “Ma wants to head to Germany and France and has also assured me that he wants to start in Brussels next year”, Reynders said in the La Dernière Heure newspaper.
The Alibaba founder is apparently eager to get his mobile payment service Alipay off the ground in Europe: “He is targeting every Chinese citizen travelling abroad, who is using Alipay at home anyway. He told us that Visa and American Express are currently his biggest allies… in his fight against cash. He has a clear goal: to rid the world of cash first”, Reynders said.
Ma also said after the meeting he intends to develop a European Alibaba platform, to give European countries, including Belgium, an opportunity to sell their quality products to the Chinese people, but those plans are for the longer term.
