Alibaba, Beijing Fear Microsoft's Business Tactics

Look for Jack Ma's Alibaba to become part of the Microsoft-Yahoo discussions due to Yahoo's sizable stake in the company.

The essential message comes across as Yahoo, a 39 percent shareholder in Alibaba, faces assimilation by Microsoft. A takeover bid once valued at $44.6 billion, subject to further discussion, weighs on the minds of Yahoo's partners as much as it does the company's founders.

But the pitched a fit when they thought the US Congress politicized that "normal commercial" exchange.

Alibaba's viewpoint sees Microsoft as eventually winning the day. If they are relevant to discussions about the Yahoo acquisition, they should be part of the process. The whole issue of Microsoft controlling a substantial stake in the company should be considered as a normal commercial exchange too, instead of being politicized.