It turns out that Alibaba, the Chinese company that operates AliExpress, is being monitored by Belgian intelligence agencies for ``suspected espionage''
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The Belgian intelligence agency, the State Security Agency (VSSE), has been monitoring the logistics bases of Alibaba, a major Chinese IT company, due to concerns about espionage, the British economic newspaper Financial reported. The Times reported.
Alibaba accused of 'possible espionage' at European hub | Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/content/256ee824-9710-49d2-a8bc-f173e3f74286
Reportedly, VSSE is monitoring Alibaba's logistics hub at the Belgian city of Liege's cargo airport. Alibaba signed a deal with the Belgian government in 2018 to set up a logistics hub at the airport in Liege, the EU's fifth-largest cargo airport, but VSSE said the logistics hub would be subject to 'spreading by Chinese companies, including Alibaba.' We are continuing to investigate, keeping in mind the possibility that ``activities or interference activities'' may be taking place.
VSSE is particularly wary of the introduction of software systems that handle highly confidential economic information. Chinese companies are required by law to submit data upon request from the Chinese government, and VSSE told the Financial Times, ``Alibaba's presence is a matter of concern for VSSE. We have the incentive and ability to use the data we collect for non-commercial purposes.'
In Belgium, a new law to screen foreign investments in critical infrastructure will come into effect in July 2023, and from now on, the flow of foreign capital into social infrastructure important for national security will be subject to strict scrutiny. Become.
``The early negotiations with Alibaba are from a previous era, and the era of innocence has changed,'' said Vincent Van Quyckenborn, Belgium's Minister of Justice, at the time the agreement for the logistics hub was signed. He acknowledged that the situation was different.
The site in Liège is the only distribution center in the EU operated by Cainiao, a logistics company owned by Alibaba, and primarily handles goods delivered to European consumers through AliExpress. There, employees unload goods from planes and transport them to a 30,000 square meter warehouse before shipping them to various locations. Cainiao is currently applying for permission to triple the size of the warehouse to 100,000 square meters. About.
Concerns about espionage had been raised in the Belgian parliament and elsewhere before the logistics hub was built, and VSSE's announcement 'suggests that deep-rooted concerns remain even after the hub opens,' according to the Financial Times. is written.
Cainiao said: 'Data security and privacy protection are of paramount concern to our business. We comply with all laws and regulations, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).' He denies any suspicion of wrongdoing.
At Cainiao's logistics hub, Alibaba's system called ``World Electronic Commerce Platform (eWTP)'' has been introduced, which manages delivery times and other matters. According to Cainiao, eWTP data is stored on Alibaba Cloud servers in Germany and will be used for Cainiao's business.
Professor Jonathan Holslag, an international politics scientist at the Vrije Universiteit Bruxelles who is familiar with the relationship between the Chinese government and Chinese companies, said: ``The main concern is that data from this logistics hub could hint at supply chain and logistics vulnerabilities.'' Chinese authorities expect logistics hubs to communicate local developments and report data on trade and logistics in the EU, and knowledge of trends in consumption patterns and logistics structures is essential to supply chains. This will be valuable data for China, which is seeking to control the world.'
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