Billionaire is thought to have remained outside country after state crackdown on tech sector

Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of Alibaba and once one of China's most prominent entrepreneurs, has made a rare public appearance in the country.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma has resurfaced in China after months of overseas travel, visiting a school in the eastern city of Hangzhou where he discussed various topics including artificial intelligence

By Julie Zhu, Kane Wu and Kevin Huang HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) -Alibaba founder Jack Ma has returned to China, ending a more than year-long stay overseas that was viewed by industry as reflecting the sober mood of China's private businesses and troubled policymakers trying to spur the economy.

Jack Ma might be one of Beijing’s best chances at repairing its reputation with the private sector in China and beyond. But, the billionaire’s long absence from the country has underscored the mistrust that entrepreneurs and global investors harbor against the government.