China's Xi meets business leaders including Alibaba's Jack Ma

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with prominent entrepreneurs, including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, on Monday, as part of efforts to support the private business sector. Ma’s participation in the meeting follows a period of relative silence after his public clash with regulators in 2020, which led to the suspension of Ant Group's IPO. The meeting is seen as a move to signal a more positive stance toward private businesses in China. Analysts suggest that the gathering reflects Beijing’s intention to foster stronger economic growth through collaboration with private enterprises.