Alibaba opens new office in Australia to push globalization strategy

Chinese e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group Holding Ltd announced a plan on Tuesday to open its first local office in Australia later this year, the latest move in its globalization push to have more than half its revenues coming from countries outside China by 2036.

Alibaba's global president Michael Evans said Australia was a "huge part" of his company's long-term globalization strategy to raise its 423 million customers to 2 billion in another 10 years, as it expands its presence internationally.

"Australia and New Zealand are a big part of our globalization strategy. In markets that are very important to us, we want a good group of people working for us," Evans told The Australian Financial Review on Tuesday.