There was no news for a long time, suddenly there was an allegation that Jack Ma was arrested by the Chinese authorities after committing a crime that endangered national security. Even if it is proven that the issue is not true, this incident is considered as a warning.
Initially, CCTV television, which is China's state media, reported that a person with the last name Ma was being investigated in Hangzhou City. Many suspect that person is Jack Ma.
Moreover, his name is said to have two characters, such as Jack Ma, whose real name is Ma Yun. What's more, Hangzhou is the location of Alibaba's headquarters. Although later corrected, many suspect it was intentional.
On Weibo, some netizens thought that CCTV was deliberately spreading the rumor. "I'm sure CCTV won't make a name mistake like this. It's not clear why they did it, there are many people in China who have the last name Ma," wrote one netizen.
In fact, it is reported that the officers in Hangzhou informed the arrest of the man named Ma directly to the CCTV head office, not to the local bureau as usual.
Although it was not Jack Ma who was snared, observers considered this a warning from the Chinese government, that anyone could be arrested if they were deemed to have committed a crime, especially one that endangered national security.
"The publication is a deliberate act to intimidate anyone who might endanger national security in any way," said Qu QIang, a former lecturer at Tsinghua University.
"Using all authority to raise this small case indicates Beijing's intention to prioritize national security by creating an atmosphere of fear in everyone," he argued.
