A top-secret White House memo alleges that Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba is aiding the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in cyber operations targeting the United States. The document, which the Financial Times claims to have reviewed, asserts that Alibaba has granted the PLA access to its customer data and shared intelligence on critical software vulnerabilities, including "zero-day" exploits.
The memo, dated November 1, was reportedly generated shortly after President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a temporary trade truce. Alibaba has vehemently denied these allegations, calling them false and an attempt to manipulate public opinion and malign the company.
A spokesperson suggested the leak was a malicious public relations operation aimed at undermining the recent trade deal between the US and China, questioning the motivation behind an anonymous and unverified leak. The White House and the Chinese government have been approached for comment, with the Chinese embassy in Washington dismissing the claims as a distortion of facts.
The memo reportedly details that user data such as IP addresses, WiFi details, and payment histories were made available to the Chinese government and its military. While the memo does not specify which US sites or systems were targeted, the Director of National Intelligence has previously warned about Beijing's capability to compromise US infrastructure, citing the "Salt Typhoon" cyber campaign as an example of a significant breach of American telecommunication networks.
Former CIA analyst Dennis Wilder stated that PLA cyber-espionage has reached unprecedented levels, with daily intrusions against critical US infrastructure to prepare for potential conflict. These accusations come amid heightened US concerns about the ties between Chinese tech firms and the PLA, driven by China's "military-civil fusion" strategy.
Lawmakers have previously called for the delisting of Chinese companies from US stock exchanges due to alleged links to the PLA.
