Jack Ma, creator of e-commerce giant Alibaba and China's richest man alive, has been outed as a member of the Communist Party

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Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma attends 2018 Alibaba Xin Philanthropy Conference on September 5, 2018 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China.

• Jack Ma, creator of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, and China's wealthiest person alive, has been outed by Chinese media as a member of China's Communist Party.
• Speculation about Ma's ties to the Chinese government have long been discussed, though he has often kept his distance from Beijing in his public comments.
• On Monday, state-run People's Daily wrote that the Communist Party would be honoring 100 people, including Ma and two other internet-tech moguls, for their contributions to China's economy.
• Experts say the revelation is a reminder of how President Xi Jinping is pushing Communist Party loyalty into every aspect of Chinese society and its economy.

Jack Ma, creator of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, and the country's wealthiest person alive, has been outed by state media as a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Speculation about Ma's ties to the Chinese government has long been discussed, though he has often kept his distance from Beijing in his public comments.

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And while his e-commerce company has previously raised money by selling shares to firms linked to the CPC, Ma has described his relationship with the government as: "Love them, but don't marry them."

But on Monday, state-run People's Daily wrote that the CPC would be honoring 100 people, including Ma and two other internet-tech moguls, for their contributions to China's economy.

The publication specifically referred to Ma as a "CPC member" and said that Ma had been listed as a "huge driving force for domestic demand" as head of Alibaba Group.

"Under his leadership, Alibaba ranks among the top 10 global companies in terms of market value, making China a leading player in the international e-commerce industry, internet finance and cloud computing, spawning a large number of entrepreneurs and start-ups," People's Daily wrote, citing a government statement discussing the award.

The article also lists Robin Li, CEO of Baidu, China's top search engine, and Pony Ma, chairman of internet giant Tencent Holdings, as recipients of the honor. The article specifically refers to Li and Ma as "non-partisan."

Bill Bishop, publisher of China newsletter Sinocism, says the revelation about Ma isn't surprising to many who have followed Alibaba's successful catapult into the global market.

"No one doubted that Alibaba had to be close to the CPC to survive," Bishop told Business Insider, though he noted that other Chinese tech moguls have been able to build successful companies without pledging their support.

Bishop added that while Ma decided to step down as chairman of the e-commerce giant in September 2019, the revelation of Ma's close ties to the Chinese government will likely continue through Alibaba.

"It's just another reminder that Alibaba has to be close to the CPC, and given how President Xi Jinping is pushing the party back into every aspect of business and life," Bishop continued, "it will only give ammunition to regulators who are already worried about Chinese firms."

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