Alibaba Accused of Supporting Chinese Military Cyber Operations Against US
White House documents obtained by the Financial Times reportedly allege that Alibaba Group provided technical support to Chinese military operations targeting the United States, including zero-day attack knowledge and access to customer data and AI services. Alibaba denied the allegations but did not comment on military relationships.
What happened
According to White House documents obtained by the Financial Times, Alibaba Group employees provided knowledge about zero-day attacks (software vulnerabilities) to the Chinese military in support of operations targeting the United States.
The documents indicate Alibaba provided the Chinese government and military with access to customer information including IP addresses and payment records, as well as AI-related services.
Reported impact
The US government expressed concern about the military-civilian fusion strategy, noting that Chinese government-supported hacker groups have previously penetrated critical US infrastructure in communications and energy sectors.
The US government assessed that in the event of armed conflict, such operations could aim to disrupt power and water supplies and create social chaos.
Index analysis
The White House document was dated November 1, 2025, but did not specify the concrete targets within the US.
Governance controls
Alibaba denied involvement, stating the accusations represented an attempt to manipulate public opinion and smear the company, though the company did not comment on its relationship with the Chinese military.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.