US Officials Accuse COSCO of Espionage via Concealed Ship Equipment

Two senior Trump administration officials have accused Chinese state-owned shipping giant COSCO of using concealed equipment on its commercial vessels to conduct espionage, alleging the company has maintained a decades-long intelligence-sharing arrangement with Beijing. The officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the sophisticated signals intelligence collection technology allows China to gather data on military communications and encryption developments near the coastlines of the United States and other countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. According to the officials, the equipment installed on COSCO ships is distinct from standard commercial communications gear and is specifically designed for surveillance. They stated the intelligence gathered helps China strengthen its position in territorial disputes and provides maritime reconnaissance and early warning capabilities regarding foreign military activity. The operation also reportedly enables monitoring of major shipping lanes used for both global trade and military movements. COSCO did not respond to requests for comment.