After nearly three months of silence, the Alibaba co-founder spoke today at an annual event he hosts to recognize rural teachers, and toured a primary school in his hometown of Hangzhou. (Bloomberg)

Talking point: Ma disappeared from the public eye after Chinese regulators halted Ant Group’s planned US$37-billion IPO listing in November 2020. Some speculated he was laying low after criticizing state-owned banks in the lead up to going public. Meanwhile, China drafted antitrust rules and took other steps to regulate its tech industry. Ma’s commentary in a video of his Wednesday appearance, which Ant confirmed was authentic, echoed Communist Party talking points. “Recently, my colleagues and I have been studying and thinking. We made a firmer resolution to devote ourselves to education philanthropy,” he said. “Working hard for rural revitalization and common prosperity is the responsibility for our generation of businessmen.”