China is said to be using civilian cargo ships for global espionage

Chinese logistics giant Cosco moves harmless cargo around the world every day, but US officials suspect a massive espionage network is behind it. Camouflaged antennas on the ships are intended to intercept military communications data.

Hidden spy technology at sea

Two high-ranking US government officials have accused the Chinese logistics company Cosco of using civilian cargo ships for military espionage purposes. The ships equipped with camouflaged antennas have allegedly been operating for decades – specifically for this purpose – along the coasts of North America, Europe and Asia. The aim of the operations is the targeted interception of sensitive communication data in strategically important waters.

The hardware used is not ordinary radio equipment for nautical operations. Instead, the ships use highly complex systems to capture signal data. The process, known as Signals Intelligence, is used to analyze military communications technologies and encryption, according to US officials. Since modern container ships already have numerous antennas, additional equipment is hardly noticeable.

Like the news agency Reuters reports, the strategic approach is based on close cooperation between the shipping company and the government in Beijing. The Chinese intelligence law from 2017 obliges domestic companies to support state intelligence work. Such a maritime network offers authorities a high reach at low operational costs.

Denial and economic consequences

The Chinese embassy in Washington immediately dismissed the allegations as baseless. The government would never order companies to violate local laws to collect data abroad. However, shipping experts emphasize that the potential for widespread surveillance is very high given the size of Cosco’s fleet. The US Department of Defense placed Cosco on a list of companies with ties to the Chinese military back in January 2025. There have been no formal sanctions so far.

A complete exclusion of the logistics group from Western supply chains is currently considered difficult or impossible. Experts warn that such an approach would severely damage the global trade network. The company is deeply integrated into the international port infrastructure. The topic is likely to play a central role in upcoming talks between the heads of state of both countries.