COSCO Shipping has rejected US allegations that equipment aboard its vessels was used to collect intelligence for Beijing. The Chinese shipping group called the claims “totally unfounded” and false. The denial follows a Reuters report based on information from two senior US administration officials. US officials accuse COSCO of intelligence gathering with concealed ship equipment COSCO rejects intelligence claims The US officials spoke on condition of anonymity. They alleged that COSCO used concealed equipment aboard its vessels to collect military communications near several countries, including the United States. The officials also claimed that COSCO has a long-standing intelligence relationship with Beijing. According to them, the arrangement allows China to collect communication signals from vessels and aircraft across Europe, North America and Asia. COSCO has rejected these allegations. “COSCO SHIPPING has always adhered to market-oriented operations and compliance practices across all our global businesses,” the company said. Equipment used for commercial operations, COSCO says COSCO said equipment aboard its vessels is used only for commercial and operational purposes. This includes communication, navigation, safety and emergency response. The company also directly denied using its vessels to intercept military communications. It said none of its onboard equipment is used to gather intelligence. China also rejects the claims China has previously denied that it asks companies to gather intelligence abroad in violation of local laws. The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing would never ask a company or individual to collect overseas information against local laws. The allegations against COSCO have not been independently verified. The two US officials behind the claims were not identified. COSCO’s statement now provides the company’s formal response to the allegations. The post COSCO denies US allegations of intelligence gathering aboard vesse