Alibaba‘s executive chairman has spoken out in favour of global free trade following a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

After Trump ripped up the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), stating it was a “potential disaster” for the US, retail giant Alibaba‘s Jack Ma said the world “needs globalisation, it needs trade”.

“Everybody is concerned about trade wars. If trade stops, war starts,” Ma told an audience in Melbourne, where Alibaba has just opened its new Australian headquarters.


READ MORE: Alibaba declares war on counterfeiters


“But worry doesn’t solve the problem. The only thing you can do is get involved and actively prove that trade helps people to communicate.

“And we should have fair trade, transparent trade, inclusive.”

This follows Alibaba‘s announcement it will create one million jobs in the US, alongside worldwide expansion into markets like Australia and New Zealand. 

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