China tech companies draw up war plans for Asean battleground

In the second of a 7-part BT-Lianhe Zaobao series on China and Asean, we look at the strategies adopted and challenges faced by China’s tech companies in South-east Asia

Chew Boon Leong

Published Sun, Jun 26, 2022 · 10:00 AM

China

IN MAY 2014, Alibaba Group announced its acquisition of a 10.35 per cent stake in SingPost for S$312.5 million, to accelerate its e-commerce expansion across South-east Asia. This was Alibaba’s first investment in an overseas postal agency, in a prelude to the entry of China tech giants into the region.

Many investors then thought that Alibaba’s technological and financial clout meant that its domination was just a matter of time.

But reality proved otherwise. After 8 years, notwithstanding its continued expansion in the region, Alibaba is facing even fiercer competition.

Many in China are familiar with the BAT – Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent – and their reenactment of the historical war epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. These tech behemoths, fo…