US Officials Accuse COSCO of Hiding Spy Gear; China Embassy Rejects Claim
Two senior Trump administration officials said on September 1 that China's state-owned shipping giant COSCO installed hidden devices on its vessels to collect military communications intelligence near the coasts of the United States and other countries. The officials alleged a decades-long intelligence partnership with Beijing. China's embassy in Washington dismissed the claims as baseless, and COSCO did not respond to requests for comment.
Two senior officials of the Trump administration said on September 1 that COSCO, China's state-owned shipping giant, has installed concealed equipment on its vessels to gather military communications intelligence near the coasts of the United States and other countries. The officials said COSCO has maintained an intelligence-gathering partnership with the Chinese government for decades, enabling Beijing to collect communications signals from ships and aircraft operating in Europe, North America, and Asia.
The advanced equipment on board is designed to help China obtain intelligence on the development of military communications and encryption technologies, while monitoring major shipping lanes and maritime routes important to trade and military navigation, according to the officials. They did not specify the type of equipment but described it as a "sophisticated signals intelligence collection" platform rather than ordinary communications hardware. They also said Beijing uses the collected intelligence to strengthen its position in territorial disputes, conduct maritime reconnaissance, and gain early warning information about foreign military targets.
China's embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, stressing that the Chinese government would never require any company or individual to collect or provide data, information, or intelligence located overseas in violation of local laws. The embassy said it opposes attempts to smear China by peddling the so-called "intelligence collection" narrative, calling such claims groundless. COSCO did not respond to requests for comment.
The U. S. Department of Defense added COSCO to its list of companies linked to China's military in January 2025. Despite U. security concerns, COSCO remains one of the world's major shipping operators calling at U. ports and participates in container terminal joint ventures at several American ports.