Belgian intelligence agencies are monitoring Alibaba’s Chinese warehouse in Liège for suspected espionage, the Financial Times reports. “There are at least three Chinese laws that say they have to cooperate on this,” said security adviser and former AIVD employee Eric Schouten.
‘People often think only about cyber espionage, but human spies are forgotten’
British newspaper Financial times wrote today that there are suspicions of sensitive information being passed from Alibaba’s distribution center in Liège. Eric Schouten is not surprised if the accusations are true. ‘Chinese companies and citizens are often asked by the Chinese government to contribute to their global espionage activities.’
Also read | Britain accuses China of espionage: two arrests
The branch in Liège is used by a part of the Alibaba Group called Cainiao. They say they comply with laws and regulations and reject espionage. ‘Maybe Alibaba didn’t want this: its own group was also affected, but eventually they will definitely be taken advantage of or asked to do this.’
‘Maybe Alibaba doesn’t want this: its own group is also affected’
The British heard rumors that goods flow data and transportation data were being passed on to the Chinese government. ‘It’s very useful for the government to know: what happened? Who are the stakeholders?’ Schouten explained. ‘For example, civil servants have long been prohibited from using Alibaba apps on their phones, as there was no guarantee that data would not be leaked to the Chinese government.’
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