Political commissars onboard Chinese merchant ships can be tasked with intelligence missions, expert tells The Insider
The state-owned Chinese shipping company COSCO uses covert equipment aboard its vessels to intercept military communications off the coasts of other countries, including the United States, Reuters reported on Sept. 1, citing two senior officials in the Trump administration. According to the officials, COSCO has maintained a decades-long partnership with Beijing, allowing China to intercept…
A Chinese shipping company has reportedly deployed political commissars on its merchant ships to fulfill intelligence missions, according to a former Pentagon official. COSCO, the world's largest state-owned shipping conglomerate, has maintained a long-standing partnership with Beijing, enabling China to eavesdrop on communications signals from ships and aircraft across Europe, North America, and Asia.
The U.S. Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute noted that China likely employs its fishing and merchant fleets for intelligence and surveillance purposes. Chinese law mandates that companies must assist the state with intelligence-gathering efforts. The presence of political commissars aboard PRC vessels, who serve as Party-state representatives and oversee political and administrative affairs, could provide Beijing with a means to direct COSCO vessels for intelligence-collection activities.
The global reach of COSCO's fleet could grant Beijing access to remote maritime locations that would otherwise be challenging to reach.
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