US officials: COSCO ships used to intercept military signals for China

Reuters is reporting that U.S. officials say Chinese state shipping giant COSCO hides equipment aboard its vessels to intercept military communications off the coasts of the United States and other nations. Two senior Trump administration officials told Reuters the company has maintained an intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing for decades, enabling China to gather signals on military communications technology, encryption systems, and to monitor key global shipping lanes. COSCO did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. China's embassy in Washington denied the allegation, calling it "totally baseless." The report adds to growing scrutiny of Chinese state-linked firms operating in Western ports and waters amid heightened concern over Beijing's espionage capabilities and its expanding footprint in global maritime infrastructure.