Alibaba founder Jack Ma seen touring Dutch greenhouse firm, research sites

Chinese tech billionaire Jack Ma recently visited the Netherlands. Photos on social media show the Alibaba founder visiting various companies and research institutions in the Netherlands, NU.nl reports.

Chinese media reported that Ma visited the Netherlands because he is interested in agricultural technology. He sees "great opportunities" for modernizing China's agriculture sector if knowledge from Europe were combined with Alibaba technology, the South China Morning Post said.

In the Netherlands, he visited BOAL Group, specializing in aluminum roof systems for greenhouse horticulture. The company would not confirm Ma's visit to NU.nl. 

Ma became very wealthy with Alibaba, the parent company of online store AliExpress. He got into trouble with the Chinese authorities last year. In the fall of 2020, he disappeared for months, prompting speculation that he was arrested. Chinese regulators also opened a cartel investigator into Alibaba.