Overview
- Two senior U.S. administration officials, who spoke to reporters on Tuesday, said COSCO vessels have long carried concealed, sophisticated signals‑intelligence platforms that collect military communications near target coastlines.
- Officials described the gear as designed to gather data on military communications technology and encryption, and to provide maritime reconnaissance and early‑warning indicators for the People’s Liberation Army.
- China’s embassy in Washington called the claims totally baseless and said the government would not ask companies to collect intelligence overseas, while U.S. sources have not publicly released technical evidence.
- COSCO remains a major carrier with terminal joint ventures at U.S. ports and was placed on a Pentagon list of companies linked to China’s military in January 2025, complicating any move to restrict its operations without disrupting trade.
- Analysts and past reports from the U.S. Naval War College point to China’s military‑civil fusion and legal obligations on firms as mechanisms that could enable such collection, and the allegation is likely to shape U.S. policy options like port fees, procurement limits, and regulatory reviews.