Tech aristocrat Jack Ma told investors to seat down for a drawn out trade fight between a United States and China.

“It’s going to final long, it’s going to be a mess,” Ma, a owner and executive authority of Alibaba (BABA), pronounced Tuesday.

The US-China trade fight will final not for 20 months or 20 days, though “maybe 20 years,” he said.

That would meant no easing of tensions between a world’s tip dual economies for many years after President Donald Trump has left office, even if he serves a second term.

Ma done a remarks during an annual discussion for Alibaba investors, only hours after the Trump administration slapped a new spin of tariffs on Chinese products value $200 billion.

While a tech billionaire discharged conjecture that geopolitical headwinds played a partial in the warn proclamation of his retirement final week, he concurred that a ongoing squabble with China’s largest trade partner is spiteful Alibaba’s business.

Shares in Alibaba sealed 3.5% reduce on Monday. The company’s batch is down 25% from a all-time high in June.

Ma pronounced a lot of businesses in China and a United States will be in difficulty in a brief term, and eventually, Chinese firms will be forced to spin to other countries.

Ma pronounced a trade fight is “against China,” though also criticized his country’s policies, propelling leaders to perspective a pain inflicted by Trump’s tariffs as an event to “upgrade.”

“China contingency open a market,” he added.

Ma also took a opportunity to encourage investors that a $410 billion association he helped build is in protected hands. He announced final week that he will step down from Alibaba in a year’s time, handing over a reins to CEO Daniel Zhang.

“I’m 100% certain Daniel will do a improved pursuit than we do,” Ma said.

The 54-year-old former teacher steady his enterprise to pursue a new career, expected in a margin of education.

“I’m not unhappy during all. we consider I’m still young,” he said. “In Alibaba I’m old, though in my career I’m still young.”