HONG KONG, Nov 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hope is a powerful thing. Just ask China's $220 billion e-commerce giant Alibaba (9988.HK), whose New York stock has rallied by a third this month despite tepid performance from its annual Singles Day shopping festival and so-so quarterly results. Expectations that Beijing will ease strict pandemic curbs are fuelling the optimism. Alibaba's sales in the three months to September confirm Chinese consumption remains weak. Revenue from the domestic commerce unit, accounting for nearly two-thirds of Alibaba's top line, fell 1% year-on-year, to $19 billion. Boss Daniel Zhang's cost cuts are paying off, though:...