Alibaba’s Zhangbei data center in the Hebei province, pictured in 2016. Credit: Imaginechina via AP Images
Major internet companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba have become global leaders in the multi-billion dollar cloud computing industry that, until recently, existed as barely more than a thought experiment. Now, it’s a $33 billion industry — every quarter.
Chinese regulations require foreign firms operating in China's cloud market to partner with a Chinese company, so Amazon and Microsoft — global leaders in cloud computing — have set up joint ventures with two Chinese firms: Beijing Sinnet and 21Vianet.
Cloud services are also a tricky area for cybersecurity. Concerns over snooping and stealing drive the global conversation as the industry has exploded over the last decade and a half. In early December, the Trump administration was reportedly considering blocking foreign cloud companies from operating in the United States.
This week, The Wire looks at the biggest players in the global and Chinese markets to see who’s providing the cloud infrast
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
From the scandal of Luckin Coffee to the collapse of Didi, big names have dominated the discussion of Chinese companies listing on U.S. exchanges. Now, some analysts say it’s time to look more closely at the wild stock movements of several small cap Chinese companies — and the U.S. firms that advise them.
The former GE CEO talks about growing their China business, balancing U.S. interests, and why businesses need to focus on market access, not outsourcing.
