Belgian sleuths should stop shooting in the dark: China Daily editorial

The "China threat" farce seems to be playing out again, this time in Belgium. Last week, Belgian intelligence agency, VSSE, told the media that they are investigating "possible espionage and/or interference activities" by Chinese entities "including Alibaba", especially Alibaba's logistics operations at the cargo airport in Liege.

But as has become the norm for Western countries, the VSSE has not provided any concrete evidence to back its claim. Instead, it said the presence of Alibaba "constitutes a point of attention for the VSSE" because Chinese companies are "bound to share their data" with the Chinese authorities. "China has the intent and capacity to use this data for non-commercial purposes," the agency said.

This is not the first time a Belgian department or Western media outlets have hyped up such give-a-dog-a-bad-name-and-hang-it allegation. In May 2021, the Chinese embassy in Belgium refuted similar accusations against Alibaba, emphasizing that the baseless allegations were nothing but the "China threat" theory. As the embassy spokesperson said, this is an extremely irresponsible practice that not only misguides the Belgian public but also sullies the reputation of Chinese businesses and individuals in Belgium.

The e-commerce giant's logistics company Cainiao has operated the smart logistics hub since it opened in 2021 after Alibaba and the Belgian government reached an agreement on the establishment of the project in 2018.

The Chinese company follows the European Union's strict data protection regulations as well as Belgium's local laws and rules. That's why the logistics center at Liege has flourished as a regional e-commerce hub in Europe despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating jobs for locals and opening up the Chinese market to Belgian enterprises.

The fact that the VSSE has failed to furnish any evidence to substantiate its claim prompted Cainiao to say the allegations are based on "conjecture". Importantly, Cainiao's partner, the Liege Airport, has not spoken against their cooperation.

"Cainiao is an ambitious and innovative partner, which pushes us to reinvent ourselves and to be better," Frederic Jacquet, CEO of Liege Airport, said at the opening of the logistics center in November 2021. "Like other important partners of Liege Airport, Cainiao will help us grow in a win-win relationship, which finds its full meaning in the development projects that are ours."

Although a new law came into force in Belgium to screen foreign investments in critical infrastructure in July 2023 — some attribute the VSSE's newly found zeal for targeting Alibaba to the law — it is by no means an excuse to baselessly accuse a company, even if it is a foreign company, of spying.

Unfortunately, Belgium may end up paying the price for its intelligence agency using "national security" for some unknown, weird purpose, because such moves shake multinational companies' confidence in a country's business environment, thus harming its economy.