Alibaba expands AI cloud services in Malaysia, Philippines
The Hangzhou-based company's cloud unit launched its third data centre in Malaysia this week and it also plans to open its second data centre in the Philippines in October, it said in a statement released on Wednesday (Jul 2).
Alibaba Cloud also said it's launching a global competency centre in Singapore to help accelerate AI adoption across industries. It said the centre would help more than 5,000 businesses and 100,000 developers access advanced AI models.
'Globalisation is Alibaba Cloud's long-term strategy,' Alibaba chief executive officer Eddie Wu said in a recorded video message at a company event in Singapore on Wednesday.
Alibaba will accelerate the buildout of its global cloud network in China, Japan, South Korea, South-east Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Americas over the next three years, he added, reiterating its commitment to spend more than US$53 billion on AI infrastructure during the period.
Best known for its e-commerce operations in China, Alibaba has been charging into AI, building standalone offerings around its Qwen AI models and growing its cloud services. It has also announced infrastructure investments in Thailand, Mexico and South Korea.
In the wake of DeepSeek's emergence on the global stage, Alibaba chief executive officer Eddie Wu declared in February the company's 'primary objective' is now artificial general intelligence, a goal in the industry to build AI systems with human-level intellectual capabilities. BLOOMBERG
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia says it will sign $43 billion pact with US partners ahead of tariff talks deadline
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Indonesia's chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said the MOU is due to be signed on July 7. JAKARTA - Indonesia will sign a pact worth US$34 billion (S$43 billion) with business partners next week to boost purchases from the US, as part of efforts to strike a trade deal with Washington ahead of the July 9 deadline, Indonesia's chief economic minister said on July 3. The deal would include increasing imports of fuels and investment by Indonesian companies in energy and agriculture sectors in the US. Separately, flag carrier Garuda Indonesia also said it is in talks to buy up to 75 jets from Boeing. Jakarta is facing a 32 per cent tariff in US markets and has previously offered to increase US imports to facilitate trade talks between the two sides. Indonesia enjoyed a goods trade surplus of US$17.9 billion with the United States in 2024, according to the US Trade Representative. Speaking to journalists, Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the memorandum of understanding due to be signed on July 7 will deploy the US$34 billion for new Indonesian investments and purchases in the United States. 'This shows that government, regulators, state-owned enterprises and the private sector are together in responding to the imposition of US reciprocal tariffs,' Mr Airlangga said. He said that by addressing the trade balance with the United States, Indonesia hoped to get a better trade deal than the one struck with Vietnam. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Sport Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28: What you need to know about the footballer Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali The US announced on July 2 that it will place a lower-than-promised 20 per cent tariff on many Vietnamese exports , down from the original 46 per cent announced by US President Donald Trump in April. Meanwhile, Garuda's potential jet purchase may include 737 Max 8 and 787 jets, its chief executive Wamildan Tsani told reporters after meeting Mr Airlangga. It was unclear whether Garuda's discussion with Boeing is part of the tariff negotiations. The airline is struggling to recover from the impact of the pandemic. It secured a US$405 million loan from sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia in June for maintenance, repair and overhaul of its fleet. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Top Chinese official softens tone on US, says war ‘unimaginable'
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Both the Chinese and the Americans are hoping for a 'friendly, good' relationship between their countries, said the official. A senior Chinese official said he was optimistic about the future of his nation's ties with the US, among the most upbeat comments given by Beijing in recent weeks about a relationship upended by American President Donald Trump's tariffs. Both the Chinese and the Americans are hoping for a 'friendly, good' relationship between their countries, and politicians are expected to heed the will of the people, Mr Liu Jianchao, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department, said at the government-backed World Peace Forum on July 3. Speaking in Beijing, Mr Liu called a war between China and the US 'unimaginable' but highlighted Taiwan and the South China Sea as possible flashpoints. He urged America to respect the 'one China' principle, which dictates that Taiwan is part of China's territory. Mr Liu urged America to respect China's sovereignty and honour its commitments on Taiwan. 'We will decide at what time to take what kind of measures to achieve China's reunification based on the development of the situation, our needs, and movements of Taiwan's separatist forces,' he said. China is adopting a less confrontational tone with the US days after confirming details of a trade framework with Washington , as the world's two largest economies finalised an understanding reached in Geneva. In separate comments on July 3, Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian said Beijing is hopeful it can 'jointly promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations'. But while the trade truce may be holding for now, Beijing is increasingly wary about US efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Sport Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28: What you need to know about the footballer Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali On July 2, Mr Trump announced a tiered tariff agreement with Vietnam that will hit products with components from China and possibly other nations, which are routed through Vietnam or subject to only minimal final assembly before being exported to the US. 'China is keenly aware of what it's gained from China-US cooperation,' Mr Liu said. 'Our cooperation is mutually beneficial. The act of putting up barriers will hurt the other and ourselves as well.' The Chinese official also struck a critical note, recalling US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's message of 'peace through strength' – delivered a month ago during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – and calling it 'a rebranding of hegemonism'. 'Such rhetoric is about flexing muscles instead of encouraging dialogue', Mr Liu said. 'It will only stir up confrontation and conflicts instead of promoting peace and harmony.' The diplomat additionally addressed some of the territorial disputes China has with its neighbours, sketching out an approach to solving its border issues with India and Bhutan that he said will rely on dialogue. 'China is not leveraging its size and national strength to oppress others,' Mr Liu said. 'Instead, we're trying to find solutions to control and address the South China Sea issue through negotiations.' BLOOMBERG
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Alibaba looking to raise $1.53 billion through exchangeable bonds for cloud, commerce push
Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group said on Thursday it is seeking to raise around HK$12 billion ($1.53 billion) through exchangeable bonds to boost investments in cloud infrastructure and global commerce operations. The bonds link to Alibaba Health Technology , the group said. Investors can later exchange these bonds for shares in Alibaba Health, and the bonds will not pay interest over time. Alibaba Group holds more than 44 per cent of Alibaba Health. The debt sale follows Alibaba's $5 billion dual-currency bond in November, which was the largest deal of its kind in Asia-Pacific during 2024. Thursday's offering comes as more investors tap the Asian credit market after monetary and fiscal stimulus by Beijing policymakers improved the region's debt appeal.. Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba Group closed 2.9 per cent lower at HK$106.20 on Thursday, while Alibaba Health stock ended down 2.8 per cent.
