BEIJING: Remarks by the head of Chinese online business giant Alibaba that young people should work 12-hour days, six days a week if they want financial success have prompted a public debate over work-life balance in the country.
Jack Ma is one of China’s richest men and his comments last week brought both condemnation and support as China’s more mature economy enters a period of slower growth.
Newspaper People’s Daily, the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece, issued an editorial, saying mandatory overtime reflects managerial arrogance and was also impractical and unfair to workers. Online complaints included blaming long work hours for a lower birth rate in the country.
Ma has responded to the criticism by saying work should be a joy and also include time for study, reflection and self-improvement.
Alibaba head’s remarks spark debate over China working hours
Alibaba head’s remarks spark debate over China working hours
- Jack Ma is one of China's richest men and his comments last week brought both condemnation and support as China's more mature economy enters a period of slower growth
Second firm ends DP World investments over CEO’s Epstein ties
- British International Investment ‘shocked’ by allegations surrounding Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
- Decision follows in footsteps of Canadian pension fund La Caisse
LONDON: A second financial firm has axed future investments in Dubai logistics giant DP World after emails surfaced revealing close ties between its CEO and Jeffrey Epstein, Bloomberg reported.
British International Investment, a $13.6 billion UK government-owned development finance institution, followed in the footsteps of La Caisse, a major Canadian pension fund.
“We are shocked by the allegations emerging in the Epstein files regarding (DP World CEO) Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem,” a BII spokesman said in a statement.
“In light of the allegations, we will not be making any new investments with DP World until the required actions have been taken by the company.”
The move follows the release by the US Department of Justice of a trove of emails highlighting personal ties between the CEO and Epstein.
The pair discussed the details of useful contacts in business and finance, proposed deals and made explicit reference to sexual encounters, the email exchanges show.
In 2021, BII — formerly CDC Group — said it would invest with DP World in an African platform, with initial ports in Senegal, Egypt and Somaliland. It committed $320 million to the project, with $400 million to be invested over several years.
