Washington has accused Chinese tech giant Alibaba of quietly aiding China’s military in cyber operations that could target the United States, according to a declassified White House memo cited by Financial Times.
The document describes what officials say is a pattern of support for the People’s Liberation Army, including claims that they had access to sensitive customer data, AI tools, and software bugs that had never been seen before. Those capabilities are viewed as a direct threat to U.S. national security, reported Financial Times.
According to the memo, Alibaba is accused of supplying the PLA with IP addresses, WiFi information, payment records and AI-linked services. According to the Financial Times, some employees allegedly passed on zero-day vulnerabilities, which are software flaws that have not yet been made public. U.S. authorities warn that these might offer Chinese military operators an edge in cyber campaigns.
U.S. officials told Financial Times they could not independently verify every alleged instance but said the claims align with broader worries in Washington over Chinese cloud and AI providers. “We take these threats very seriously,” one official said, adding that the administration is working “day and night” to contain cyber intrusions tied to untrusted vendors.
Alibaba forcefully rejected the accusations, calling the claims “completely false” and describing the leak as a “malicious PR operation” aimed at undermining President Trump’s recent trade deal with China, reported Financial Times.
China’s embassy in Washington also denounced the memo, saying the accusations were “extremely irresponsible” and “a complete distortion of facts,” according to Financial Times.
The White House declined to comment to FT.
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