U.S. officials have accused Chinese shipping giant COSCO of using concealed equipment aboard its vessels to collect intelligence for Beijing, according to Reuters. Two senior Trump administration officials told Reuters that the equipment is used to intercept military communications near the coastlines of the United States and other countries. COSCO did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. However, the Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the allegations. US officials allege signals intelligence operation According to the U.S. officials, COSCO has maintained an intelligence-gathering relationship with Beijing for decades. They alleged that the programme allows China to collect communications signals from vessels and aircraft across Europe, North America and Asia. The officials did not provide details about the equipment allegedly installed on COSCO ships. However, they described it as sophisticated signals intelligence equipment rather than standard communications hardware. One official said the equipment could collect information on military communications technologies and encryption. The programme could also allow Beijing to monitor important shipping lanes and maritime routes, according to the officials. China rejects COSCO allegations China’s embassy in Washington strongly denied the U.S. claims. Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang said the Chinese government would not ask companies or individuals to collect intelligence abroad in violation of local laws. “We oppose vilifying China by peddling the so-called ‘intelligence collection’ narrative,” Liu told Reuters, describing the allegations as baseless. COSCO already under US scrutiny The allegations come as COSCO remains under scrutiny in the United States. The Pentagon added COSCO to its list of companies allegedly linked to China’s military in January 2025. The designation carries U.S. government procurement restrictions but does not amount to formal sanctions. Despite the tens