Overview
- Two senior U.S. officials told Reuters that COSCO has fitted some commercial vessels with concealed, sophisticated signals‑intelligence systems to collect military and other communications near target coastlines.
- The administration described the hardware as purpose‑built intelligence collection gear rather than routine ship communications but has not publicly released technical evidence to back the specific claims.
- The allegation builds on earlier U.S. findings, including a 2025 Naval War College report and the Pentagon’s January 2025 listing of COSCO as linked to China’s military, and cites Chinese law that can require firms to assist state intelligence work.
- Reporting of the new U.S. assessment on Tuesday comes as COSCO remains a major operator at U.S. ports and after a 2025 détente paused proposed U.S. port fees on Chinese carriers, creating a policy trade‑off between security steps and supply‑chain disruption.
- If confirmed, the claims could push the U.S. to weigh stricter limits or inspections on Chinese carriers and highlight risks to global trade networks and port workers who depend on uninterrupted shipping services.