The government of the Chinese tech hub of Hangzhou is assigning officials to 100 local companies including tech group Alibaba, in the latest example of a tightening of the ties between the state and private sector.
The move, described as a local initiative, highlights one of the many flashpoints in China’s tense relationship with the US. Washington’s angst at the blurred lines between the state and its tech companies has already prompted Beijing to downplay its “Made in China 2025” industrial policy blueprint, which sets out sectors in which it wants domestic companies to dominate at home.
Companies including Alibaba already have communist cells embedded in their operations and top executives spend much of their time dealing with government officials on policy and other issues.