US Accuses Chinese State-Owned Ships of Espionage

The United States has accused Chinese state-owned shipping giant Cosco of espionage, alleging that the company used hidden advanced equipment on its vessels to spy on coastal military communications in the US and various other countries.

Based on US intelligence assessments, officials revealed that the shipping firm has maintained a clandestine intelligence-gathering partnership with Beijing for decades, covertly harvesting communication signals from ships and aircraft operating across Europe, North America, and Asia.

According to US officials, the primary objective of this covert operation is to relay detailed intelligence and data regarding foreign military communication technologies and encryption systems back to Beijing, enabling monitoring over vital and sensitive global maritime trade routes. While Cosco has not responded to requests for comment, the Chinese Embassy in Washington has dismissed the allegations as completely baseless. These sensitive security and trade matters are expected to be discussed during an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington later this month.