Files suggest Alibaba co-founder was used by Beijing to pressure colleague into assisting in political purge.
In a development that has attracted significant coverage in China latest news today, Alibaba co-founder and billionaire Jack Ma was reported to have been dragged into a covert campaign of intimidation run by the government of China. The campaign had been aimed at intimidating a businessman into emerging from exile to assist in a crackdown on politics.
As uncovered in papers accessed by The Guardian, Ma was asked by Chinese officials to visit an old friend, identified simply as "H" due to security concerns, and attempt to coax him back to China. H was then residing in France after he fled what he describes as politically motivated accusations brought against him by Chinese authorities.
The campaign of pressure involved an onslaught of menacing phone calls, the arrest of H's sister in China, and an Interpol red notice—an international alert issued to locate and provisionally arrest individuals in preparation for extradition. The final nail was hammered home in April 2021, when Ma explicitly called H and said: \"They said I'm the only one who can persuade you to return.\"
The event has come to be at the forefront of China latest news today, presenting the extents to which the Chinese government will go in pursuit of its objectives abroad.
H, who had recorded previous calls by Chinese officials and mutual friends, also picked up Ma's message. The recordings, now part of French court documents, give us rare glimpses of how Beijing makes things happen overseas—blending legal levers, state coercion, and personal networks to pursue political agendas abroad.
A Campaign of Coercion
The disclosures are part of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists' (ICIJ) China Targets project, an international investigation that exposes how China targets Chinese citizens living overseas who are seen as a threat. Participating media partners, including Le Monde and Radio France, received access to H's case records.
When taking phone calls, the Chinese embassy in the UK dismissed the allegations as "pure fabrication."
H, a 48-year-old Chinese-born Singaporean, had been living in Bordeaux when he was targeted by Chinese law enforcement. A year before the call Ma made, the authorities had issued a warrant charging H with financial crimes against the now-defunct credit platform Tuandai.com. Interpol issued a red notice at Beijing's request, and French authorities confiscated H's passport while considering his extradition.
This case was widely discussed on China latest news today due to the fact that it shows the Chinese government's use of international mechanisms for pursuing individuals abroad.
Jack Ma's Role
Over the phone, Ma told H that the pressure was not a personal matter but is part of China's efforts to bring down Sun Lijun, the defunct ex-deputy security minister accused of bribery and market manipulation. "They are doing all this for Sun, not for you," Ma said.
Sun had been at the forefront of coordinating security during Hong Kong's 2019 protests. Following his confrontation with party bosses, he was labeled as politically ambitious and disloyal—a common accusation under Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-graft campaign, widely seen as a means to eliminate political rivals.
Ma himself had also fallen out of favor with the regime. After his criticism of Chinese regulators in 2020, he was hit with regulatory crackdowns and disappeared from public view for a few months. When he re-emerged, it was at the heel of appearing state control. In calling H, Ma invoked Chinese officials' threats:
"You have no other solution… the noose will tighten more and more."
Ma then wrote to H's lawyer to reaffirm the demand.
These incidents have been widely covered in China latest news today, a sign of the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Ma's connection with China.
Blocked Extradition
There was an entirely closed door on extraditing H to China. His lawyers were able to stave off the extradition in the French courts, citing the request was politically driven and H would be tortured or have his assets seized if returned.
One of his attorneys, Clara Gérard-Rodriguez, stated:
"We knew if H returned, he'd be arrested, tortured, and compelled to testify. His properties would likely be seized."
Human rights observers like Safeguard Defenders report that China's judicial system has a 99.98% conviction rate and is plagued with systematic torture and coercive confessions.
The money laundering allegations against H stemmed from his investment in Tuandai.com. Even if the firm's founder had been given a 20-year prison term, H insists he had no knowledge of anything wrong. "None of this is true," he allegedly stated on a call intercepted by French authorities.
The red notice placed H in effective limbo, frozen in place and unable to move or conduct business. Legal commentator Ted R. Bromund likened it to "a pin through a butterfly," entrapping individuals in legal limbo.
Even though red notices are intended for serious criminals, critics warn that autocratic regimes—such as China—cynically exploit the system to harass dissidents. British lawyer Rhys Davies has called them "the sniper rifle of autocrats."
Whereas other countries, including Argentina, count on formal extradition, China leverages red notices to pursue targets and then engages in informal coercion—arresting family members and threatening them implicitly until the target willingly "voluntarily return," according to experts.
Interpol claims it has provisions to prevent abuse and filters red notices to keep them at global standards.
These have been a common topic in China latest news today, and the issue is over the misuse of international legal instruments.
Psychological Pressure and Legal Victory
During his visit to France, H was subjected to an avalanche of calls—some threatening leniency, others making direct threats. There was one call from an investigator who was prosecuting Sun, promising H that he would come back and the red notice would be lifted.
One of the friends issued a direct threat: "In three days your entire family will be arrested." Within a short time, H's sister was arrested in China.
H's case is not an isolated one. The ICIJ identified 105 cases across 23 countries where the Chinese state targeted individuals with comparable coercive measures. Numerous individuals reported that their families were threatened or questioned in China.
The French courts finally turned down the extradition in July 2021, citing that the request was political. Interpol also removed the red notice from their database.
Sun Lijun was later sentenced to death suspended—without H's interference.
These events continue to be mentioned in China latest news today, commenting on the global implications of China's domestic policies.
The Cost of Resistance
Although he emerged victorious in his court case, H was financially destroyed. With accounts frozen and businesses in disarray, he accumulated allegedly $135 million in debt. He would not comment when contacted by The Guardian.
The Chinese embassy echoed its refrain: "China respects the sovereignty of other countries and conducts law enforcement cooperation according to law."
Although there were those who wondered about the caller's identity, H's attorneys verified that indeed it was Jack Ma, a person with whom H had known face to face for years. During no part of the legal processes was Ma's identity questioned formally.
Ma. Ma did not respond to The Guardian's inquiry. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the presentation year, he made a visible appearance at a major business gathering in Beijing. He applauded Xi Jinping, a move generally seen as his public return to Beijing's favor.
In retrospect regarding the ordeal, Gérard-Rodriguez said: "We can see Jack Ma disappear and then return, swearing loyalty. What was demanded of H was no different—to return, to show loyalty, and to take sides."
This story has been a major highlight in China latest news today, showing the intricate dance between business leaders and state power in China.