Top Alibaba Official Urges Developing Nations to Invest in Sovereign Cloud for Data Security » Capital News

BEIJING, China, May 1 – Developing countries have been urged to prioritise investment in sovereign cloud solutions to strengthen data security and retain control over their digital infrastructure.

Speaking during a lecture to delegates attending a training on Artificial Intelligence and Media in Developing Nations in China, Rex Chen, Director of Public Sector at Alibaba Group International, stressed the importance of localised cloud strategies tailored to national data sovereignty needs.

“This is a great opportunity and the right time for countries to invest in sovereign cloud solutions,” said Chen during the delegation’s tour of Alibaba Group headquarters in Hangzhou. “These technologies allow governments and organisations to maintain full control over their data and infrastructure.”

Chen explained that sovereign cloud differs from traditional cloud services by giving full operational control to the client—typically a government agency or national telecom operator—while Alibaba Cloud only supplies the technology.

“In sovereign cloud solutions, we do not access the data centres. Everything is operated by the client to ensure maximum security,” he said. “We are the only provider with this model—other vendors often want to control the data.”

Chen cited Alibaba Cloud’s partnership with BCX Telecom in South Africa as a successful case, where Alibaba provided the technology while BCX managed operations independently. The approach, he said, is currently in use across more than 10 countries in collaboration with national telecoms.

He acknowledged the high costs associated with setting up and maintaining data centres, calling for strong local partnerships and clear digitalisation strategies to ensure sustainability.

“Cloud technology is just the beginning. Countries need a long-term vision, and we’re here to support them in building and implementing high-level digital projects,” he added.

Founded in 2009, Alibaba Cloud is China’s largest cloud computing provider and the market leader in the Asia Pacific, according to Gartner. It operates 87 availability zones across 29 regions globally.

Chen also highlighted Alibaba’s growing use of artificial intelligence, from model training to deployment, which has enhanced operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

He pointed to recent innovations such as Qwen2.5-VL, a visual-language AI model capable of interpreting voice and visual cues, and the AI-powered Quark app, which now serves over 200 million users in China.

In July 2023, Alibaba Cloud made history by enabling remote video production for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the first time cloud infrastructure has replaced satellite for primary broadcast delivery.