Uibaba's Jack Ma says the US-China trade war puts an end to 1 million job pledges in the United States: Xinhua

(Reuters) – Alibaba (BABA.NPresident Jack Ma said the company could no longer deliver on its promise to create 1 million jobs in the United States because of trade tensions between the United States and China, the agency reported on Wednesday. Chinese Xinhua press.

Ma has already warned that the trade war between the two largest economies could last decades and that China should focus its exports on the trade route of the "Silk Road", citing Africa, South Asia -East and Europe.

Ma met with US President Donald Trump two years ago and presented the Chinese e-commerce giant's plan to bring a million small American companies on its platform to sell to Chinese consumers over the next five years.

"This commitment is based on China-United States friendship. cooperation and the rational and objective premise of bilateral trade, "Ma told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"The current situation has already destroyed the original principle. There is no way to deliver the promise. "

While Ma did not specify how he would add these jobs, he said he wanted to encourage small US companies to sell in the Alibaba Tmall and Taobao market, believing that every new company that would join the platform should engage a person to manage the market. additional sales.

Investors appeared indifferent to Ma's comments, with Alibaba shares up 3.8% on Wednesday. They have decreased by 5.7% so far this year, including those gains.

Trump on Monday imposed 10% tariffs on about $ 200 billion of imports from China and threatened to impose $ 267 billion more if China had fought back.

China reacted one day later with $ 60 billion worth of US goods, as planned, but reduced the level of tariffs it will levy on products.

Ma's latest comments are in addition to those he recently expressed about escalating trade and show his support for Beijing's position on how additional tariffs will affect business and the Foreign Policy One Belt One Road.

"Americans love competition, China likes harmony, they are two different cultures," Ma said at an investor conference in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Ma, who is expected to step down as president of Alibaba in a year's time, predicted Tuesday that trade frictions would lead to a "mess" for all parties involved.

He added that US tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese products could encourage the country to export elsewhere.

"We should be working more in Africa, South East Asia (SEA) and Europe," he said.