China's Corporate Pivots: Alibaba's Food Delivery Gambit and WuXi AppTec's Geopolitical Hedge
Benzinga·2025-11-19 13:21

Group 1: Alibaba's Strategic Shift - Alibaba is retiring the Ele.me brand, which has been synonymous with food delivery in China, and is transitioning to a broader "instant commerce" strategy under the Taobao brand [3][4] - This rebranding aligns Alibaba with competitors like JD.com and Meituan, which have unified their delivery services under a single brand, enhancing customer navigation within Alibaba's ecosystem [4] - The shift acknowledges past shortcomings, as Ele.me has lagged behind Meituan in market share since its acquisition by Alibaba in 2018, indicating a renewed focus on the delivery business [5][6] Group 2: WuXi AppTec's Move to Saudi Arabia - WuXi AppTec is pivoting towards the Middle East, planning to build a new facility in Saudi Arabia while selling off non-core assets, driven by U.S.-China trade tensions [7][8] - The move is motivated by financial incentives from Saudi Arabia, which is diversifying its economy away from oil and gas, and is actively attracting high-tech and biotechnology industries [8] - Establishing a manufacturing base in Saudi Arabia allows WuXi AppTec to mitigate risks associated with U.S.-China relations and label its products as made in Saudi Arabia, creating a separation from Beijing [10]