Shunning protocol, an all-smiles Barack Obama interviews 'eccentric' Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma

Manila: US President Barack Obama took time off at an Asia-Pacific summit on Wednesday for an unusual task - putting questions to Chinese internet billionaire Jack Ma and a young Filipina entrepreneur on government-business ties in a panel discussion. Obama joked comfortably with the eccentric founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA.N), which is looking to make inroads into foreign markets, including the United States. [caption id=“attachment_2512380” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Barack Obama and Jack Ma. Reuters[/caption] During the discussion on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila, the U.S. president probed Ma on how he thought government and established businesses could help young entrepreneurs. “Government is simple - just reduce the tax, or no tax, for these guys,” Ma responded, to a wave of laughter and applause from the audience of business executives. “You got a lot of cheers from your fellow CEOs,” Obama quipped in response. Ma’s remarks come as Alibaba works to invest heavily in ventures abroad. Executives have said its push beyond the China market is a top priority, as the company works to maintain its rapid growth even as the prospect of e-commerce saturation at home looms large. Alibaba has said some of its larger overseas markets include Brazil and Russia. Obama also praised the relatively unknown Filipina entrepreneur, Aisa Mijeno, a professor of engineering who invented a lamp powered by salt water. He suggested that Ma should invest in the company of his fellow panelist after she said she was looking for funding to mass-produce the lamps. Business World Online has a special news feature on Mijeno soon after the panel discussion. “I’m just saying,” Obama said, throwing Ma a suggestive look. “Serving as a matchmaker here, a little bit.” Ma smiled in response. He said Alibaba had been putting 0.3 percent of the company’s total revenue for the past six years toward encouraging young people to find solutions to climate change and other environmental issues. Clearly, Obama enjoys any speaking gig. Powered into the White House on his first term with thundering speeches, Obama has mastered the art of wowing audiences everywhere. Rappler has put together pictures on the “funny moderator in chief. Ma added that he thought it was a “fantastic idea” to invest in clean technology, referring to a recent conversation in which Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) co-founder Bill Gates broached the idea. Agreement on climate change is one of the bright spots in Washington’s troubled relationship with Beijing, which has been shaken recently by a row over China’s increasingly assertive posture in the South China Sea. Leaders of the two countries agreed in September to a common vision for a global climate change agreement, including steps to deliver on earlier pledges to slash greenhouse gas emissions. Jack Ma is Cameron’s business adviser Jack Ma has recently been appointed by British Prime Minister David Cameron to advise him on business. The announcement came the day before a four-day state visit to Britain by Chinese President Xi Jinping and as Britain seeks to boost its business ties with the world’s second-largest economy. The e-commerce boss will “provide particular help and advice on how to get small and medium sized British businesses boosting their exports and in particular accessing Chinese markets through platforms like Alibaba”. Cameron and his finance minister George Osborne believe that close ties with China are vital to cementing Britain’s economic growth in decades to come. Cameron’s Business Advisory Group had 19 members in July – most of them chief executives of top British companies, including the heads of BP, Easyjet and Rolls Royce. Membership is not remunerated. Reuters