LOGINK's Global Expansion Collapses as China's Maritime Data Platform Retreats

Four years after US officials warned that China was developing a potential “trade superweapon,” the country's state-backed logistics data platform LOGINK has suffered a major retreat from the international shipping industry.

China's LOGINK logistics data platform has lost much of its international momentum amid concerns over data security and Beijing's maritime ambitions.

LOGINK was designed to streamline global shipping by allowing customs authorities, ports and transportation companies to exchange logistics information digitally.

US officials became concerned that the system could give Beijing access to sensitive information about international cargo movements and potentially support military tracking.

According to a Reuters investigation, LOGINK's international expansion has stalled, the platform has withdrawn from an international maritime association and it has become embroiled in domestic legal disputes over unpaid bills.

Reuters also reported that its operations hub in Wenzhou appeared largely abandoned when a reporter visited in September, with lights off, an empty reception area and computer cabling removed.

Calls and emails to LOGINK went unanswered, while China's transport ministry declined to answer questions.

The retreat represents a setback for Beijing's ambitions to expand its influence over global maritime logistics.

LOGINK had previously established or pursued partnerships with foreign ports and maritime organizations, but diplomatic pressure and concerns over data security contributed to its declining international role.

China has not completely abandoned the system.

In June, its transport ministry issued a policy document calling for LOGINK to be connected with additional domestic data streams, indicating that the platform may have a continuing role inside China even as its international ambitions have weakened.

The United States had already sought to discourage foreign governments and companies from using LOGINK.

Randall Schriver, who chaired a US congressional commission that issued a 2022 report on the platform, said US efforts to identify and publicly highlight LOGINK's users contributed to the system's reversal of fortunes.