Alibaba quietly helping Chinese military target the US, White House memo claims: Report

Washington has accused Chinese tech giant Alibaba of quietly supporting military operations against US targets, a claim drawn from a White House memo containing declassified top-secret intelligence, according to the Financial Times.

The memo lays out what officials describe as a troubling pattern: Alibaba allegedly provided the People’s Liberation Army with access to sensitive customer data, AI tools and even knowledge of zero-day software flaws. The White House believes those capabilities pose a direct threat to US security, the FT reported.

Officials told the FT that while they could not independently verify every detail, the allegations mirror broader concerns in Washington about the reach of Chinese cloud and AI companies. “We take these threats very seriously,” a US official said, adding that the administration was working day and night to contain cyber intrusions carried out through untrusted vendors.

According to the memo, Alibaba supplied the PLA with access to IP addresses, WiFi data, payment records and AI-linked services. Some employees allegedly passed on information about previously unknown software vulnerabilities — knowledge Washington argues could give the Chinese military an edge in cyber operations, the FT reported.

Alibaba dismissed the claims. “The assertions and innuendos in the article are completely false,” Alibaba said in a statement.

“We question the motivation behind the anonymous leak, which the FT admits that they cannot verify. This malicious PR operation clearly came from a rogue voice looking to undermine President Trump’s recent trade deal with China.”

China’s embassy in Washington pushed back strongly, calling the allegations a complete distortion of facts.

“Without valid evidence, the US jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and made groundless accusations against China. It is extremely irresponsible and is a complete distortion of facts. China firmly opposes this,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement.

The White House declined to comment.

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With inputs from Reuters

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