Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma met with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, Jan. 9, which both sides described as a positive meeting.
The Wall Street Journal said that the meeting focused on business, particularly on agriculture in the U.S. Midwest, where Chinese firms have reportedly been making investments recently. The two also talked on the idea of creating 1 million new jobs in small business in the next five years.
"We think the China-U.S. relationship should be strengthened. Should be more friendly and do better," Jack Ma was quoted as saying after the meeting.
Ma also said he believed that the discussion on the trade issues between China and the U.S. is now open but added that Trump wanted to discuss first some concerns with China.
The Chinese tycoon also discussed plans to sell more U.S. goods to China through its platform, the report said.
Ma and Trump both said that the meeting was positive, as they spoke to media at the lobby of the Trump Tower in Manhattan. The two also displayed mutual respect for each other, the report said.
While the world is anticipating how the China-U.S. relations will be under the new administration of Donald Trump, who had appointed trade officials skeptical about China, Alibaba is looking at big plans to increase foothold in the U.S.
The Chinese e-commerce giant, through its Digital Media and Entertainment Group, has announced plans to increase investment from $1.5 billion to $7.2 billion in entertainment in the next three years.
Alibaba Pictures started investing in the U.S. entertainment industry in 2014, when it helped financed
Paramount/Skydance's "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation". It was followed by funding the studio's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows" and "Star Trek Beyond".
Last year, the Chinese tech giant acquired a minority equity stake in Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners, which will enable it to co-produce and finance films for global and Chinese audiences.
The company also partnered with Harry Potter producer David Heyman on "Warriors," which is an action film based on the hit series of young-adult novels.