The Trump administration is accusing Chinese-owned ocean carrier COSCO of using its ships to spy on military communications of nations along coastlines in Europe, North America and Asia.
According to Reuters, anonymous senior White House officials claim that COSCO has operated an intelligence collection program with the Chinese government spanning decades, where the carrier has used concealed equipment on board its vessels to gather intelligence on military communications and encryptions. It's also reportedly allowed China to keep a close eye on shipping lanes and strategic maritime routes used for trade and military movements.
The officials did not specify what equipment COSCO has been using to gather that intelligence, describing it only as a "sophisticated signals intelligence collection" platform. China's embassy in Washington, D.C., denied the Trump administration's allegations, while stating that the country would never ask any company or individual to collect information or intelligence in violation of local laws.
This isn't the first time China has been accused of using commercial fleets for surveillance purposes. A U.S. Naval War College report published in 2025 claimed that China's People's Liberation Army was using hundreds of the country's fishing and commercial vessels to spy on the movements of foreign ships.
