China’s delivery giant SF Express announced Wednesday that its mapmaking affiliate Fengtu Technology has acquired the top-level digital navigation mapmaking qualification issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources. In a statement SF Express said this makes them the first logistics company in China to be granted such a qualification.

There are two main types of map licenses available for internet and tech companies in China: a simple “internet map” license and a “digital navigation map” license. The first license is relatively easy to obtain, while the second is a lot more difficult as it contains the rights to all sorts of detailed and sensitive geographical data such as bridge elevations.

According to SF Express, so far only 21 companies across the country have received the Class A navigation map-making qualification, the top-level mapping certificate that also allows its holders to produce high-precision maps or autonomous driving navigation systems. Currently the other organizations that hold the qualification include government-backed institutions and tech companies supported by Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Didi Chuxing, and Huawei.

“During the new wave of internet technology, maps will become the operation system for digitalization and therefore a very significant part of any infrastructure,” SF Express said. The company did not elaborate on whether the new certificate is related to research or the development of any unmanned projects, but did add that the mapping service will be used for its logistics operations and that Fengtu aims to produce digital maps for artificial intelligence purposes.

Issuance of map-making certificates is strictly monitored by the government for fear that institutions or companies might leak information that could jeopardize national security.

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