Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Explained: Officials Raise Espionage Concerns About COSCO Ships
U.S. officials are examining COSCO, a Chinese commercial shipping company.
They say COSCO may have shared intelligence with the Chinese government for many decades.
According to the officials, this could help Beijing gather communication signals.
The signals could come from ships and airplanes.
The activity could take place in Europe, North America, and Asia.
The officials did not publicly reveal their names.
They spoke anonymously because the subject is sensitive.
The report describes an accusation and does not establish that espionage occurred.
U.S. officials reportedly accuse COSCO of maintaining a decades-long intelligence-sharing arrangement with the Chinese government.
The officials say the arrangement could allow Beijing to collect communication signals from ships and aircraft.
The alleged signal collection would cover operations across Europe, North America, and Asia.
The officials spoke to Reuters anonymously because of the sensitivity of the U.S. assessment.
The account concerns what COSCO is accused of, rather than a publicly established finding of espionage.
- Who
- U.S. officials accuse COSCO of having an intelligence-sharing arrangement with the Chinese government.
- What
- The officials say the arrangement could enable Beijing to collect communication signals from ships and aircraft.
- When
- The alleged intelligence-sharing partnership has existed for decades, according to the officials.
- Where
- The alleged signal collection involves operations across Europe, North America, and Asia.
- Why
- The officials say the arrangement could provide Beijing with communications intelligence.
- Company named
- COSCO
- Alleged partner
- The Chinese government
- Reported arrangement
- A decades-long intelligence-sharing partnership
- Potential capability
- Collecting communication signals from ships and aircraft
- Regions mentioned
- Europe, North America, and Asia
- Source of assessment
- U.S. officials speaking to Reuters
- Attribution
- The officials spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the assessment