Alibaba to introduce 'Black Friday' in China, as Jack Ma eyes international expansion for Taobao

Chinese giant Internet conglomerate Alibaba has its sights set on global domination.

Jack Ma, founder and CEO of the group, revealed during a meeting with the Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang plans to launch an international version of the company's online marketplace Taobao, although he did not specify when the roll out would occur.

The move comes not long after a group of high-end retailers in the US teamed up with Alipay, China's largest third-party payment service to bring the annual America retail holiday 'Black Friday' to Chinese consumers.

US retailers who will be participating in the first 'Black Friday' promotion in China include Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's. The ePass payment option available with Alipay will enable Chinese shoppers the possibility to purchase items in yuan.

“Alipay is delighted to partner with Borderfree and Shoprunner to help leading US retailers introduce 'Black Friday' to China and reach out to eager new customers through well-managed localized promotions, direct marketing and social media campaigns," commented Rebecca Lui, director of marketing and public relations for Alipay US.

Alibaba previously indicated that the time was right to introduce 'Black Friday' to China and to start focusing on international trade and expansion, following the group's highly successful IPO in the US this fall, which raised 21.8 billion dollars.