
Alibaba clarifies Cainiao supply chain remains independent
Cainiao’s domestic supply chain business formally joined Alibaba’s e-commerce business group on July 1.

Cainiao’s domestic supply chain business formally joined Alibaba’s e-commerce business group on July 1.

The restructuring extends a strategic shift that began after Alibaba withdrew Cainiao’s planned Hong Kong IPO in 2024.

The first warehouse deployment, built in collaboration with Alibaba’s cross-border platform AliExpress in Dongguan, Guangdong.

Far from scaling back, Cainiao has made international growth a central strategic priority in 2026.

This move brings it a step closer to becoming Zhejiang’s first warehouse and logistics REIT sponsored by a private enterprise.

The facilities, located in Daventry in the United Kingdom, Paris, Madrid and Rokitno in Poland, add to Cainiao’s growing overseas logistics network.

The launch underscores a broader ongoing shift in logistics automation from isolated task-based systems toward coordinated, AI-managed operations spanning the full warehouse workflow.