Belgium on High Alert: Shocking Revelations on Alibaba's Potential Spying Activities Unveiled

Belgian intelligence officers are currently surveilling Alibaba's logistics hub in Europe to assess the potential espionage activities on behalf of the Chinese government. The state security service of Belgium, known as VSSE, revealed on Thursday that it is closely monitoring the operations of Cainiao, Alibaba's logistics division, specifically at Liège cargo airport. The Financial Times was the first to report this information.

Cainiao refuted the accusations, stating that they are unfounded and merely speculative. They emphasized their strict adherence to all applicable laws and regulations in the regions where they operate. Alibaba, on the other hand, did not provide any comment in response to the inquiry.

Chinese companies are required by law to supply data to Chinese security services upon request, according to the VSSE. The agency believes that these companies possess the capability and intention to utilize this data for purposes unrelated to commerce. In a statement, the VSSE stated that it actively identifies and combats potential acts of espionage and interference performed by Chinese entities, such as Alibaba.

Liège airport revealed a partnership with Cainiao in 2018 to establish itself as the European logistics hub. The airport stated that Cainiao would utilize a "collaborative data platform" to efficiently oversee its operations. The platform provides immediate access to information for logistics partners, buyers, and sellers, facilitating smoother operations.

The hub opened in 2021.

Cainiao's logistics site at Liège airport in Belgium, seen in November 2021

Eric Lalmand/AFP/Belga Mag/AFP/Getty Images

Beginning at "In July" and rewriting the content:

The Belgian government implemented a new rule in July whereby all foreign companies from outside the European Union intending to make direct investments in "sensitive" sectors are now subject to screening by a federal body in order to identify potential risks to national security. These sensitive sectors encompass critical infrastructure, raw materials, energy, and defense.

In light of security concerns, Western governments have adopted a more cautious approach towards granting Chinese companies the same level of access they enjoyed in previous decades.

The German government halted the sale of one of its semiconductor factories to a Chinese-owned tech firm in November due to security concerns. Similar worries led Berlin to interfere in the purchase of a stake in the operator of a Hamburg port terminal by Chinese shipping giant Cosco, resulting in a reduction of the stake. In the previous month, Alibaba revealed its intention to spin off and list Cainiao on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Juliana Liu reported on the news of the impending IPO, which was announced half a year after the e-commerce titan expressed its plan to divide its operations into six distinct divisions. Each division would have its own CEO and board of directors.