Senior Trump administration officials have accused Chinese state-owned shipping giant COSCO of using concealed equipment aboard its vessels to collect intelligence for Beijing, according to Reuters.
They said the equipment could provide information on military communications, encryption technology, shipping routes and potential military targets.
China’s embassy in Washington rejected the allegations as baseless. COSCO did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The claims come as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month for talks expected to cover trade and security. COSCO was placed on a Pentagon list of companies linked to China’s military in 2025.
Reuters reported that Chinese law requires companies to support government intelligence efforts. However, COSCO remains deeply involved in US trade and operates through several port partnerships, making any effort to reduce its role economically difficult.
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Chinese shipper COSCO collects intel for Beijing with concealed equipment, US officials sayhttps://t.co/iPle7bkvUR
— China Beige Book (@ChinaBeigeBook) September 1, 2026
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