Alibaba head lends a hand to Mini Jack Ma

A 9-year-old boy known as Mini Jack Ma is expected to get financial help from the internet tycoon.

Fan Xiaoqin, who comes from a poor family in Jiangxi province, attracted public attention after a video went viral earlier this month showing his resemblance to Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group.

Recorded by a local villager, the video depicts the boy's disabled parents and their poor family from Yanhui village, Yongfeng county. Fan's father has had one leg amputated, while his mother has polio and his grandmother has Alzheimer's disease. He also has a 13-year-old brother, according to Chongqing Morning Post.

The family has few electronic devices at home, the newspaper said.

When he first saw a picture of the boy, Ma said he thought that a family member had uploaded one of his childhood photos. He said on Nov 9 that he would offer financial support for Fan's studies until he graduates from university, according to The Paper, a Shanghai-based news portal.

Ailbaba Group said on Nov 13 that the story highlights the fact that many people are still living in poverty in China, and that the education and growth of many kids in some rural areas remain critical issues.

Contact the writers at tangyue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/18/2016 page14)