Real message in Jack Ma's abdication: Back to the basics

There's more to Alibaba chairman Jack Ma's globally celebrated decision to abdicate in favor of CEO Daniel Zhang than meets the eye, I'd like to believe.

Subtlety comes into play. That's the real message, which should matter more to Chinese companies, whose global footprint and influence are fast expanding through acquisitions, stake buys and tie-ups. They are expected to be brand ambassadors for China.

Ma's retirement statement has three enlightening points. One, he would like to return to teaching English. He probably enjoys education more than making billions, or blazing the technology trail, or parachuting Chinese brands into the collective consciousness of the world's consumers.