China’s Embassy in Belgium has hit out at what it calls “baseless allegations” by Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne that a logistics hub in Liege operated by Alibaba Group Holding could be used by Chinese spies for access to sensitive intelligence, the South China Morning Post reports. The hub at Liege Airport is one of six global logistics centers that enables the world’s largest e-commerce platform to deliver products anywhere within 72 hours. Operated by Alibaba’s Cainiao logistics unit, the Liege hub may allow access to “sensitive areas” of the air terminal to Chinese intelligence services, Minister Van Quickenborne said on May 5 before a parliamentary committee. Laws in China “force all the country’s companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies,” Van Quickenborne said, adding that Chinese agents “could have access to sensitive and secure areas of the airport or to commercial and personal data in Alibaba’s possession. Companies like Alibaba are required to open positions within the company to their agents.”

The South China Morning Post mentions that the comment, made without evidence, underscores a rising tide of concerns among some Western governments about the growing clout of China’s government and companies. Alibaba, one of China’s largest home-grown companies and the largest operator of online shopping services, is also one of the most prominent icons of that global presence. The Chinese Embassy in Belgium refuted the media reports on May 7, slamming them for making “baseless allegations.” China’s government does not “demand Chinese enterprises to engage in activities that breach local laws or regulations,” the Embassy said in a statement. “China never presents a threat to Belgium,” the Embassy added. “The cooperation between the two nations is built on the foundation of mutual respect, mutual benefits and win-win relationship.”

Alibaba’s Liege hub, which is still under construction and is scheduled to be fully operational at the end of 2021, is Alibaba’s Western European nerve center and part of its global network of logistics centers, known as the electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP). It was the staging point for the delivery last year of 2 million masks and other personal protection equipment (PPE) donated by the Jack Ma Foundation to Europe. A March 2020 donation of 800 ventilators, 300,000 sets of protective clothing and 300,000 face shields to hospitals in Europe also went through Liege. Alibaba owns South China Morning Post.