Chinese shipper COSCO denies its vessels spied for Beijing

COSCO, China’s state-owned shipping giant, has rejected allegations that its vessels carried concealed equipment to gather intelligence for Beijing, calling the claims “totally unfounded.”

Reuters reported that two senior Trump administration officials, speaking anonymously, said COSCO used the equipment to spy on military communications near the coastlines of target countries, including the United States. They also alleged that the company had maintained a decades-long intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing, allowing China to collect signals from vessels and aircraft operating across Europe, North America and Asia.

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Totally unfounded.

COSCO said its global operations follow market-oriented practices and comply with applicable rules. “All communication, navigation, safety and operational equipment installed on our vessels is used solely for legitimate commercial purposes, including navigation safety, ship-to-shore communications and emergency response,” the company said.

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COSCO SHIPPING has always adhered to market-oriented operations and compliance practices across all our global businesses.

The company added that none of the equipment on its ships had been used to intercept military communications or gather intelligence.

The allegations emerged as Chinese President Xi Jinping was expected to visit Washington on Sept. 24 for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, although Beijing had not formally confirmed the date. The planned summit was expected to address sensitive security and trade issues. China’s embassy in Washington has previously said Beijing would never ask a company or individual to collect or provide data, information or intelligence abroad in violation of local laws.

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All communication, navigation, safety and operational equipment installed on our vessels is used solely for legitimate commercial purposes, including navigation safety, ship-to-shore communications and emergency response.