BUSINESS

Alibaba Cloud Goes Global With $52 Billion Bet on AI and Infrastructure

Published: May. 23, 2025 6:48 a.m. GMT+8

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Wu Yongming, Alibaba Group CEO and Alibaba Cloud chairman, speaks at the “Go Global Summit” on May 22, 2025.

Alibaba Cloud is doubling down on globalization with a bold new strategy and 380-billion-yuan ($52.7 billion) investment plan aimed at creating a unified global cloud network and accelerate the international rollout of its AI offerings.

The initiative seeks to establish Alibaba Cloud as the digital backbone for China’s next generation of global companies.

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Alibaba Cloud will invest 380 billion yuan ($52.7 billion) to build a unified global cloud and AI infrastructure, its largest-ever commitment over three years.
The strategy includes expanding data centers to seven new countries and accelerating deployment of over 200 proprietary AI models, such as Qwen 3, now supporting 119 languages.
Alibaba Cloud is strengthening global compliance and engineering teams to support Chinese companies expanding internationally and address local data regulations.

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Who’s Who

Alibaba Cloud: Alibaba Cloud is investing 380 billion yuan ($52.7 billion) to build a unified global cloud network and accelerate its AI offerings internationally. The company aims to become the digital backbone for Chinese firms expanding overseas, focusing on global infrastructure, AI model deployment, and compliance support. Alibaba Cloud currently operates in 29 global regions and plans to launch new data centers in several countries, supporting international operations for major Chinese enterprises.

Alibaba Group: Alibaba Group is a leading Chinese technology conglomerate focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, AI, and digital infrastructure. Under CEO Wu Yongming, the company is investing heavily in Alibaba Cloud to support Chinese enterprises’ global expansion, aiming to unify global cloud networks and accelerate international AI deployment, making Alibaba Cloud the digital backbone for China’s next generation of global companies.

GAC Group: GAC Group is a Chinese carmaker planning to enter over 100 countries and regions within three years, aiming to boost overseas sales to 500,000 vehicles annually—about 20% of its total sales. To support its global expansion, GAC is investing in digital solutions for marketing, compliance, R&D, and intelligent driving, while addressing challenges related to data sovereignty, supply chains, and local regulations.

Midea Group: Midea Group’s chief information security officer, Liu Xiangyang, noted that Chinese firms like Midea face trade-offs between data center flexibility and compliance when operating globally. Challenges with compatibility and migration in multi-cloud environments have led Midea to build a unified digital infrastructure to better synchronize its global operations.

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