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The entity's percentage direct ownership of investee following completion of the transaction.

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Percentage of newly issued equity interest converted from registered capital.

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Percentage of equity interest the Company may elect to acquire through call option.

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The percentage of equity interest carried under fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded in the consolidated income statements.

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Term of exchangeable bonds, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Fair value of investment securities accounted for under the equity method.

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Gain in relation to the receipt of equity interest recognized net of tax.

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Interest rate of convertible senior notes subscribed.

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Principal amount of loan investment.

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Number of officers nominated by the Company.

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Right to receive proceeds from related party.

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Difference between amount at which an investment accounted for under the equity method of accounting is carried (reported) on the balance sheet and amount of underlying equity in net assets the reporting Entity has in the investee.

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The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

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Minimum amount of other commitment not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Excludes commitments explicitly modeled in the taxonomy, including but not limited to, long-term and short-term purchase commitments, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, supply commitments, registration payment arrangements, leases, debt, product warranties, guarantees, environmental remediation obligations, and pensions.

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Amount of revenue, fees and commissions earned from transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiaries; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) an entity and trusts for the benefit of employees, for example, but not limited to, pension and profit-sharing trusts that are managed by or under the trusteeship of the entity's management; (d) an entity and its principal, owners, management, or members of their immediate families; and (e) affiliates.

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Significant equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions and investments - Equity investments and others (Details) ¥ / shares in Units, ¥ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended																							2 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 CNY (¥)	Oct. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) employee	Jul. 31, 2019 CNY (¥)	Jun. 30, 2019 CNY (¥)	May 31, 2019 CNY (¥) ¥ / shares	May 31, 2019 HKD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 CNY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2018 CNY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2018 CNY (¥)	Jun. 30, 2018 CNY (¥)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 CNY (¥)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 CNY (¥)	Jan. 31, 2018 CNY (¥)	Jan. 31, 2018 HKD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 CNY (¥)	Sep. 30, 2017 CNY (¥)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2019 CNY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2020 CNY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 CNY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2018 CNY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2019 CNY (¥)	Sep. 30, 2019 CNY (¥) employee	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) employee	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 CNY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2017 HKD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2017 CNY (¥)
Investment
Gain in interest and investment income, net																									¥ 71,561	$ 10,106
Ant Group
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																																	33.00%	33.00%
Profit Share Payments
Investment
Amounts earned by the Company																									3,835		¥ 517	¥ 3,444
Profit Share Payments \| Ant Group
Investment
Amounts earned by the Company																									3,835		517	3,444
Additional fee, as a percentage of pre-tax income																														37.50%
A-RT Retail Holdings Limited \| Sun Art
Investment
Equity interest held in subsidiary (as a percentage)																																						51.00%	51.00%
SAPA \| Pre-emptive rights \| Ant Group \| Maximum
Investment
Consideration to be received from related party \| $																																		$ 1,500
SAPA \| Corporate governance provisions \| Ant Group
Investment
Number of officers or employees \| employee																																	2	2
Number of officers nominated \| employee				2
2014 IPLA \| Profit Share Payments \| Ant Group
Investment
Amounts earned by the Company																									3,835		517	3,444
Additional fee, as a percentage of pre-tax income																							37.50%
Meinian
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)		14.00%																						14.00%
Purchase consideration																								¥ 6,700
Allocated to net assets acquired		¥ 191																						191								¥ 1,630
Meinian \| Amortizable intangible assets
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets		2,573																						2,573
Meinian \| Goodwill
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets		4,579																						4,579								4,290
Meinian \| Deferred tax liabilities
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets		¥ 643																						¥ 643								¥ 116
AliExpress Russia Joint Venture
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																																56.00%
Purchase consideration \| $			$ 100
AliExpress Russia Joint Venture \| Amortizable intangible assets
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																																¥ 2,325
AliExpress Russia businesses
Investment
Deconsolidation gain																									¥ 10,300
Ant Group
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																									33.00%						33.00%		33.00%	33.00%
Deferred tax effect																									¥ 19,700
Ant Group \| SAPA
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																									33.00%						33.00%		33.00%	33.00%
Cost of equity interest																																	¥ 90,700
Gain in interest and investment income, net																									¥ 71,600
Deferred tax effect																									19,700
Other cost reimbursement																									600
Ant Group \| Amortizable intangible assets \| SAPA
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																																	24,500
Ant Group \| Equity investments \| SAPA
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																																	¥ 5,300
China TransInfo
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired						15.00%
Cash consideration						¥ 3,595
Red Star
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired							2.00%	2.00%
Cash consideration for subscription of exchangeable bonds							¥ 4,359
Exchangeable bonds term (in years)							5 years	5 years
Initial price of bonds exchangeable into ordinary shares \| ¥ / shares							¥ 12.28
Total consideration							¥ 390	$ 447
STO Express
Investment
Principal amount of loan									¥ 5,000																		¥ 5,000
Maturity term of loan (in years)									3 years
Equity interest (as a percent)					14.70%
Total consideration					¥ 10,000
Term to exercise options (in years)					3 years
Unrealized loss relating to options																									¥ 1,766
STO Express \| Call Option One
Investment
Percentage of equity interest the Company may elect to acquire					31.30%
STO Express \| Call Option Two
Investment
Percentage of equity interest the Company may elect to acquire					16.10%
STO Express \| Investment vehicle controlled by the controlling shareholder
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)					29.90%
Investment vehicle controlled by the controlling shareholder
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired					49.00%
Cash consideration					¥ 4,700
Investment vehicle controlled by the controlling shareholder \| Call Option One
Investment
Percentage of equity interest the Company may elect to acquire					51.00%
Focus Media
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired																											7.00%
Cash consideration																											¥ 10,700
Commitment made by the Company to invest, amount \| $																										$ 511
Focus Media \| Entity controlled by the founder and chairman of Focus Media
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																									23.00%						23.00%
Entity controlled by the founder and chairman of Focus Media
Investment
Ownership to be acquired (as a percent)																									10.00%	10.00%
Tokopedia \| Preferred shares
Investment
Cash consideration										¥ 3,443	$ 500																	¥ 2,920	$ 445
Value of the shares agreed to subscribe \| $																													$ 500
Period for additional investment from initial investment																												24 months	24 months
Equity interest on diluted basis (as a percent)										29.00%	29.00%
Onshore Retail Fund and the Offshore Retail Fund
Investment
Cost of equity interest																									¥ 867
Onshore Retail Fund
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																									20.00%						20.00%
Amount committed																																										¥ 1,600
Cost of equity interest									¥ 922								¥ 462										¥ 922	¥ 462
Offshore Retail Fund
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																									10.00%						10.00%
Amount committed \| $																																					$ 200
Cost of equity interest \| $																															$ 84				$ 78	$ 77
Huatai Securities
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired												3.00%
Cash consideration												¥ 3,500
ZTO Express
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired													8.00%	8.00%
Cash consideration													¥ 7,114	$ 1,100
Huitongda
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired															20.00%	20.00%
Cash consideration															¥ 4,500
Shiji Retail
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired															38.00%	38.00%
Cash consideration															¥ 3,062	$ 486
Wanda Film
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired																	8.00%
Cash consideration																	¥ 4,676
Easyhome
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired																	10.00%
Cash consideration																	¥ 3,635
Equity interest converted from registered capital (as a percent)		10.00%
Sun Art
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																		31.00%																			31.00%
Purchase consideration																		¥ 2	$ 2
Allocated to net assets acquired																		¥ 12,999
Direct ownership of investee upon completion of transaction (as a percent)																		21.00%																			21.00%
Sun Art \| A-RT Retail Holdings Limited
Investment
Cost of equity interest																																						¥ 16,264	$ 19,303
Sun Art \| Amortizable intangible assets
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																		¥ 2,499
Sun Art \| Goodwill
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																		2,953
Sun Art \| Deferred tax liabilities
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																		¥ 2,187
China Unicom \| Ordinary Shares
Investment
Percentage of equity interest acquired																				2.00%
Cash consideration																				¥ 4,325
Best Logistics
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																				28.00%	23.00%																			28.00%	23.00%
Purchase consideration																					¥ 657	$ 100
Allocated to net assets acquired																				¥ 629	1,035
Cost of equity interest																					¥ 1,679																				$ 256
Fair value of investment securities accounted for under the equity method																				1,420																				$ 215
Cash consideration for convertible senior notes subscribed \| $				$ 100
Interest rate of convertible senior notes subscribed				1.75%
Best Logistics \| Subsequent event
Investment
Cash consideration for convertible senior notes subscribed \| $	$ 150
Interest rate of convertible senior notes subscribed	4.50%
Best Logistics \| Cainiao Network
Investment
Equity interest (as a percent)																					5.00%																				5.00%
Best Logistics \| Amortizable intangible assets
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																				652	¥ 1,072
Best Logistics \| Goodwill
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																				270	443
Best Logistics \| Deferred tax liabilities
Investment
Difference between equity method carrying amount and underlying equity in net assets																				¥ 131	¥ 214