Jack Ma, billionaire who was drawn as a member of the Chinese Communist Party

BEIJING, KOMPAS.com – Jack Ma, as CEO of a company with the highest market valuation in China, has confirmed being a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

City of BloombergWednesday (28/11/2018), Jack Ma as CEO of Alibaba Group has joined a hundred people who would be respected by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party as part of the celebration of 40 years of economic reform of the 39; State.

Other parties who will also get information include Tencent CEO Pony Ma, Baidu CEO Robin Li, basketball player Yao Ming and coach of Lang ping volleyball club.

The boundaries between business and politics have become increasingly blurred in China, as President Xi Jinping has campaigned for the Communist Party to play a leading role in all aspects of people's lives. It is feared that this measure will create tension when disputes arise between private and state interests.

"We are seeing increasingly close relations between the major Chinese Internet companies and the Chinese government, as the government sees them as one of the most effective ways to deliver on its political initiatives," said the director general of China. Marbridge Consulting in Beijing, Mark Natkin.

"Being a member of the party essentially gives you the legitimacy of the party but does not always show high-level political activity," he said.

Jack Ma, as the richest person in China, has supported President Xi's policy in recent years. In 2016, he proposed that the National Security Bureau use Big Data to prevent crime, supporting China's efforts to put in place unprecedented online surveillance for millions of people.

Xi Jinping said last year that fighting inequality was just as important as accelerating economic growth and that Jack Ma was the first to react. He told the public that entrepreneurs who have wealth are more responsible for helping others.