bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Zen Soo

Among the 86,000 employees who work at Alibaba Group Holding, chief executive Daniel Zhang Yong is not known as Daniel, or Mr Zhang, or even boss.
Instead, employees refer to him as xiaoyaozi, or the “free and unfettered one”. The nom de guerre, after a character from a Louis Cha wuxia novel, has appeared on his business card, Chinese company press statements and in Alibaba’s literature.
Zhang will soon have larger shoes to fill. On Monday, Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma Yun announced a succession plan for the company, with a transition period of one year, at the end of which Ma will step down from his role and hand the reins over to Zhang.
Jack Ma will pass reins to Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang in 12-month handover
Since Zhang was named chief executive in May 2015, “Alibaba has seen consistent and sustainable growth for 13 consecutive quarters”, Ma said in a letter to staff, including the South China Morning Post, which is owned by the Hangzhou-based company. “His analytical mind is unparalleled, he holds dear our mission and vision, he embraces responsibility with passion, and he has the guts to innovate and test creative business models.”


The succession plan comes as Ma, who co-founded Alibaba together with 17 others and has for years been the face of the company, looks to distance himself from company operations as he shifts focus to teaching, education and philanthropy. Ma will remain the executive chairman for the next 12 months to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.
“To have a good succession plan is the litmus test of business continuity,” said associate professor Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance, Institutions & Organisations at the National University of Singapore. “Naming Daniel Zhang as the successor with a specific time frame, as well as Jack Ma staying on the board until 2020, gives a lot of certainty and assurance to not only the business community but also its investors.”

“I’ve worked closely with Daniel since 2007 when he first joined us as chief financial officer of Taobao,” said Alibaba executive vice-chairman Joseph Tsai, who was the company’s chief financial officer until 2013. “On intellect and energy, I can barely keep up with him. But it’s his thoughtfulness and humility that is most impressive as a leader.”
Zhang, 46, had previously served as chief financial officer at taobao Marketplace, president at Tmall and as Alibaba’s chief operating officer before succeeding Jonathan Lu Zhaoxi as chief executive.

“Daniel [Zhang] is a proven international business leader and innovator with a strong track record of delivering results,” Ma said in a statement in 2015 when the announcement was made that Zhang would become Alibaba’s chief executive. “He has the confidence of our entire management team, and there is no better person to lead Alibaba Group as we embark on the next stage of our growth on top of the strong foundation that Jonathan helped build.”
Since then, the Shanghai native has spearheaded the company’s mobile-first strategy for its e-commerce platforms, overseen multibillion-dollar acquisitions of companies like Youku Tudou, and is now focused on expanding the company’s New Retail strategy, which looks to combine online and offline shopping to give consumers a seamless experience while simultaneously helping to boost business for small and medium enterprises.
Under his leadership, Alibaba now has a market capitalisation of US$420.9 billion and is Asia’s most valuable firm. But Zhang is determined not to let the company’s stock price affect how Alibaba runs its business.
“Our values do not waver with the fluctuations in stock price,” he once reminded employees, according to Duncan Clark’s book Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built.
How Alibaba’s Taobao changed the way Chinese consumers shop
Zhang studied finance at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Before joining Alibaba, Zhang served as chief financial officer at Chinese gaming company Shanda Interactive Entertainment and was a senior manager at PwC’s audit and business advisory division in Shanghai.
Zhang first joined Alibaba in 2007 and played a key role in helping to drive Taobao to profit. He is best known for starting the “Double 11” shopping festival, now commonly referred to as Singles’ Day, which has evolved from bringing in 50 million yuan in sales during the first festival in 2009 to 168 billion yuan (US$25 billion) last year.


Singles’ Day is now the world’s largest 24-hour shopping festival, dwarfing similar shopping bonanzas round the world, including Black Friday in the US as well as Amazon Prime Day, which last year tallied US$1 billion in sales.
“The Alibaba Partnership can be viewed as one whose purpose is to groom talent, to select 36 people who are most committed to Alibaba's mission and business and to allow those people to help manage as the company goes along,” said David Lee, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong. “If that partnership mechanism allows Alibaba to inculcate the culture and values that they want to continue to have in the organisation, then that’s beneficial.”
Alibaba steps up push into on-demand local services as overseas expansion intensifies
Zhang now has his sights set on helping Alibaba further its New Retail strategy and to expand overseas. He has overseen the expansion of Alibaba’s Hema supermarkets across the country. A typical Hema supermarket lets users shop for groceries online or offline as they please, with the option of having their purchases delivered to their doorstep. At the fresh seafood section, consumers can also request chefs to whip up hot meals on the spot.
Alibaba’s recent acquisition of food delivery service Ele.me and subsequent plans to merge it with recommendations unit Koubei is part of a broader plan to integrate on-demand delivery to other parts of its business, including Hema and e-commerce platforms Tmall and Taobao.
“We strongly believe that bricks-and-mortar stores can create huge value, but their model needs to be upgraded, and their operations need to be digitised,” Zhang said at a consumer goods conference in Singapore earlier this year.


Meet Daniel Zhang, the ‘free and unfettered spirit’ who will succeed Jack Ma as Alibaba’s chairman

Daniel Zhang, chief executive officer of Alibaba. Photo: Alibaba Group

Daniel Zhang Yong, CEO of Alibaba Group, makes speech after the Tmall Global Singles' Day Shopping Festival ended at the Media Center in Shanghai on Nov 12, 2017. By 24: 00 of Nov 11, GMV of Tmall during Singles' Day (Double 11) has exceeded 168.26 billion yuan (about 25.38 billion U.S. dollars). 12NOV17 SCMP/ Simon Song

Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (centre L) tours the Alibaba Corporate headquarters with Alibaba chairman Jack Ma (centre R) in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang province on August 18, 2018. - Mahathir is on a five-day state visit to China. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT

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The succession plan comes as Ma, who co-founded Alibaba together with 17 others and has for years been the face of the company, looks to distance himself from daily operations
