In his speech to this year's St. Petersberg International Economic Forum, Alibaba's President Jack Ma highlighted the role of the internet in changing people's life and encouraged young Russians to start their own business online.
"15 years ago, nobody had heard of Google, iPhone, Facebook, Yandex and alibaba. But today, it seems so many people cannot live if there is no such a company existing there. What's the magic behind it? I think it's because of the internet. If I were a Russian young people, use internet, create something and sell something online, the future is going to be good. And I and Alibaba will do anything to support young people and small businesses."
It's widely believed that Ma's speech is also a promotion for his firm's expansion in Russia.
Since entering Russia three years ago, Alibaba's global retail plat
