Why China's tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent are betting big on rural

AI for pig farmers, healthcare for villagers, delivery drones all make great growth stories for their investors

Just a week ago, Alibaba pumped $717 million into Huitongda Network, an e-commerce platform serving 15,000-plus rural towns in China. It’s also started investing in AI for rural pig farmers.

And they’re not the only ones moving from tier-1 cities like Beijing: Tencent-backed WeDoctor is making healthcare more accessible for folks in tier 3 and 4 cities, while Alibaba rival JD.com has also entered the space with their delivery drones.

As more and more players enter the space, what are the major implications?

• For companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and other listed companies, this delivers their growth stories to investors in the