China's e-commerce giant Alibaba responded on Aug. 1 to a recent rumor about its donation to the Clinton Foundation. A spokesperson acknowledged that Alibaba made a donation of $250,000 to the organization in 2005, but said that the money was for AIDS treatment and other medical care in developing countries, and that it carried no political agenda.

As more details of the Hillary Clinton email controversy have come to light, a number of Chinese enterprises have been forced to comment on their donations to the foundation. In Alibaba's statement, the company claims that the records of the foundation have been open for inquiry since 2008. What's more, the donation was used exclusively for charity.

The Clinton Foundation, established by the former U.S. President Bill Clinton, is a non-governmental organization working to fight climate change, support economic development and fight for women's rights, global health and and public hygiene. The foundation receives donations from diverse sources, including governments and multinational corporations. These include companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, HSBC and Citi Group, who have donated around $5 million. Chinese companies and organizations, including Alibaba, have altogether donated less than $1 million.

The e-commerce giant also clarified that Clinton had left office by the time Alibaba made the donation, and the company had no idea at the time that Hillary Clinton might one day be a presidential candidate. Finally, the company expressed its resolution to keep contributing to charities despite the recent misunderstanding.