China’s ambitious LOGINK logistics data platform, once viewed by US officials as a potential tool for Beijing to gain sweeping insight into global trade, has suffered a major reversal, with its international expansion stalled and its domestic operations sharply reduced.
LOGINK was designed to connect customs authorities, ports and transport companies through a digital platform for sharing cargo and shipping information. Its backers hoped the system would modernise trade documentation and eventually expand its reach across international supply chains.
Instead, several of its major international partnerships have collapsed. The platform has withdrawn from an international maritime association, while its website has gone offline and its operations hub in Wenzhou appeared largely abandoned during a visit in September.
The platform has also become entangled in domestic legal disputes involving unpaid bills, adding to questions over its financial viability.
Washington had warned that LOGINK could give China access to commercially sensitive shipping information and potentially help Beijing track strategic cargo movements. The US subsequently pushed allies to restrict the platform’s use in ports and critical infrastructure.
The collapse of LOGINK represents a setback for China’s ambition to build greater influence over the digital infrastructure underpinning global trade. For the United States and its allies, however, concerns over Chinese control of logistics data remain part of a wider economic and technology rivalry between the two countries.
Leave a comment