US says China uses ‘concealed equipment’ on COSCO ships to spy on military communications: Report

Two top US officials claim China's shipping company COSCO employs hidden equipment on its vessels to intercept military communications near the coasts of targeted nations, including the United States. The officials, speaking anonymously, stated that this partnership between COSCO and Beijing has endured for decades. According to Reuters, this collaboration enables China to gather data from vessels and aircraft traversing Europe, North America, and Asia.

The sophisticated signals intelligence collection platforms mentioned by the officials are not merely standard communication hardware. These systems are reportedly used to monitor military communication technologies and encryption advancements, as well as key shipping lanes vital for both global trade and military navigation. The intelligence collected by Beijing is said to bolster its position in territorial disputes and provide maritime reconnaissance and early-warning signals of foreign military targets.

However, COSCO did not respond to inquiries regarding these allegations, while China's embassy in Washington dismissed the US claims, asserting that China's government would never compel a company or individual to collect or deliver data against local laws. This comes as Washington has long been wary of the ties between Chinese commercial shipping firms and the nation's military and intelligence services.