The coronavirus pandemic has marked the debut of Chinese companies as global humanitarian donors. Companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba are providing hundreds of millions of dollars of medical supplies, food and cash in dozens of countries.
FILE - In this May 15, 2019, file photo, founder of Alibaba group Jack Ma arrives for the Tech for Good summit in Paris. As the coronavirus spread, the world’s richest communist dug into his deep pockets. Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and a member of the ruling Communist Party, helped to pay for 1,000 ventilators delivered to New York in April. Ma's foundation also is giving ventilators, masks and other supplies in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
That gives donors a chance to repair China’s image and gain credit with President Xi Jinping’s government, which faces criticism its secrecy and delay in responding to the virus that emerged in central China in December made the outbreak worse. American companies including Walmart Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. have given medical supplies and money in Africa, India and Latin America. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey promised $1 billion and has announced donations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States. Cisco Systems Inc. donated to the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
The European Union’s foreign minister, Josep Borrell, wrote in March there was a “struggle for influence” under way through the “politics of generosity.” Jack Ma’s foundation has promised supplies to all 54 African countries including 500 ventilators, 200,000 protective suits and 500,000 gloves.
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