A revealing investigation has exposed how Jack Ma, Alibaba’s billionaire co-founder, was drawn into a Chinese state intimidation effort aimed at forcing a businessman—known only as “H”—to return to China and support the prosecution of a disgraced former official.
According to court documents and call transcripts obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Ma was enlisted in 2021 to persuade H, a Singaporean citizen living in France, to return to China. The call marked the climax of a pressure campaign that included threats, the arrest of H’s sister, and an Interpol red notice designed to immobilize him internationally.
“You have no other solution… the noose will tighten more and more,” Ma said during the call, suggesting that Chinese security forces had pushed him into intervening. The transcripts suggest Ma was uncomfortable with his role, asking H, “Why did you involve me in this?”
The Chinese authorities accused H of money laundering in connection with the financial scandal surrounding Tuandai.com, although no solid evidence was presented that he knowingly engaged in wrongdoing. H’s lawyers argued that the charges were politically motivated, designed to extract testimony against Sun Lijun, a former deputy security minister targeted in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption purge.
Despite mounting pressure, H refused to return to China. In 2021, the Bordeaux Court of Appeal rejected Beijing’s extradition request, citing the political nature of the charges. The Interpol red notice was later revoked.
This case exemplifies China’s intensifying tactics of transnational repression—using global legal mechanisms, psychological pressure, and intimidation of family members to coerce overseas individuals into compliance. The ICIJ documented similar tactics used against over 100 individuals across 23 countries.
While Jack Ma’s public disappearance in late 2020 and subsequent reappearance in alignment with the regime raised global eyebrows, his role in this case underscores how even the most powerful figures can be pulled into China’s global influence campaigns.