- Jack Ma returns to the spotlight with a trip focused on desert agriculture and water innovation
- The Alibaba founder is exploring how technology can transform some of China’s harshest landscapes
After disappearing from public view for about 10 months, Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma has resurfaced in China’s northwest, visiting desert agriculture projects and water management facilities in Gansu and Xinjiang as he explores how technology can help tackle resource constraints.
Ma was recently spotted by local residents in the two regions, dressed casually in a straw hat and sunglasses, with a noticeably tanned complexion.
Photos circulating online showed him deeply engaged in conversations with local officials and researchers during field visits.
From desert to farmland
Ma’s trip focused on agricultural transformation in arid regions, including Yutian county in Xinjiang’s Hotan prefecture, located on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert.
The region, long challenged by desertification, has in recent years experimented with technologies ranging from sand control and water-saving irrigation to saline land improvement.
Local projects have turned parts of the desert into productive farmland, supporting crops such as roses, pistachios and grain.
During the visit, Ma examined demonstration sites and discussed precision irrigation, smart agriculture, biological soil improvement and the future of desert-based industries with local agricultural experts.
People familiar with the visit said Ma has maintained a strong interest in advanced farming technologies and has closely followed global examples of combining ecological restoration with economic development.
Water at the center of development
In Gansu’s Minqin county, Ma also visited Hongyashan Reservoir, the region’s key surface water storage facility located between the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts.
The reservoir plays a critical role in protecting local ecosystems, supporting oasis agriculture and controlling desert expansion. Ma, once China’s richest person, reportedly asked about water allocation, irrigation management and ecological water replenishment.
For northwest China, water remains the foundation of any agricultural transformation.
The visit highlighted a broader challenge: how to sustain economic development in some of the world’s most water-stressed regions.
A long-running interest in agriculture
Ma’s focus on agriculture is not new. Since 2018, he has repeatedly highlighted technologies such as advanced farming systems and drip irrigation, arguing that innovation could reshape the future of agriculture.
His public appearances declined significantly after 2020, following controversy surrounding comments made at the Bund Summit that year and subsequent regulatory actions involving Alibaba and Ant Group.
In recent years, however, he has gradually returned to public view, showing up at Alibaba and Ant events and attending technology and industrial projects.
His northwest visits have become an annual pattern. Last year, he visited Inner Mongolia’s Horqin Right Middle Banner, including an Ant Forest ecological restoration site.
This latest trip again underscores his continued interest in environmental protection and green development.
Why it matters globally
At a time when technology companies are racing toward AI, humanoid robots and advanced computing, Ma’s focus on desert agriculture and water management offers a different vision of technological impact.
The use of AI, data and smart farming tools to improve productivity in water-scarce regions reflects a broader global challenge: how technology can help societies adapt to climate and resource pressures.
For international observers, Ma’s northwest journey represents another rarely discussed dimension of China’s technology narrative — one that extends beyond digital platforms and into agriculture, ecology and long-term sustainability.
