Alibaba raps Yahoo for Google China stance

Last week, a Yahoo spokeswoman said its company condemned "any attempts to infiltrate company networks to obtain user information".

"We stand aligned that these kinds of attacks are deeply disturbing and strongly believe that the violation of user privacy is something that we as Internet pioneers must all oppose," read a statement from Yahoo.

Since then, Alibaba Group spokesman John Spelich said it had "communicated to Yahoo that its statement confirming its allegiance with Google's position last week was reckless given the lack of evidence". The statement goes on to confirm that, “Alibaba doesn't share this view."

“Alibaba's position is that while we oppose cyberattacks, we also feel it is premature to point fingers without definitive evidence. So we were forced to correctly state our own position," the statement said.

Earlier last week, Google threatened to exit China following the revelation that it has been the target of numerous cyber attacks.

Alibaba's statement to Yahoo comes after months of speculation regarding the strength of the companies' partnership, which has been in effect since 2005 when Alibaba Group became Yahoo China's majoirity stakeholder. In August, Alibaba Group decided to shift classified listings site Koubei.com from Yahoo China to auction site Tabobao.com in what analysts referred to as a reflection of Yahoo’s weak positioning in the market. Following the announcement, nearly 100 Beijing-based China Yahoo employees reportedly resigned after facing the decision to relocate to Hangzhou or accept redundancy. 

Soon after Yahoo sold its 1.9 per cent stake in Alibaba.com, a move that drew more comment on the nature of the relationship between the two companies. According to Rose Tsou, managing director of Yahoo Asia, the sale was a strictly financial decision, and Yahoo continues to hold 40 per cent in Alibaba Group, Alibaba.com’s parent company.

In September, Tsou told MediaTV that “Alibaba is our China strategy” and that Yahoo is looking to continue its long-term brand strategy in the market through the partnership.