Alibaba founder Jack Ma makes rare public appearance in China

Jack Ma, the founder of tech giant Alibaba, has made a rare public appearance in China, potentially signalling government efforts to quell concerns in the country's tech sector after a bruising two-year regulatory crackdown. China's best-known entrepreneur has kept a low profile since late 2020 when a speech he made attacking Chinese regulators was followed by Beijing pulling Alibaba affiliate Ant Group's planned initial public offering. A record fine of $2.75bn was then imposed on the company for alleged unfair practices. Ma has been spotted around the world over the past two years and was reportedly living in Japan for much of 2022. He returned to China last week, said two sources with knowledge of the matter who were quoted by the Reuters news agency.