Three heavyweight Republican congressmen jointly wrote a letter on Tuesday (October 14) to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, requesting the cancellation of the preferential treatment enjoyed by China COSCO Shipping Group (COSCO), a Chinese state-owned enterprise, in U.S. ports. The lawmakers expressed deep concern over reports implicating COSCO vessels in spying activities targeting U.S. military communications.
The three lawmakers are John Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Committee on China Affairs, Rick Crawford, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Carlos Gimenez, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security of the House Homeland Security Committee.
COSCO previously received preferential treatment in a U.S. Coast Guard program aimed at rewarding “trusted commercial operators.” In light of recent media reports suggesting COSCO vessels engaged in espionage activities near U.S. coastlines, the three congressmen requested the Department of Homeland Security to reassess the company’s qualification to participate in the “Qualship 21” program.
In their letter, the lawmakers mentioned that based on recent public reports, COSCO ships intercepted information related to “military communication technology and encryption development” near the U.S. coastline using advanced covert equipment, posing a serious counterintelligence threat to the U.S. These activities are part of the ongoing decades-long spy cooperation between COSCO and communist China.
Given that COSCO was added to the Pentagon’s list of Chinese military companies in January 2025, the lawmakers emphasized the significance of these actions. When listing COSCO, the Pentagon pointed out that the company is directly owned and controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of China, has conducted official activities on behalf of the Chinese military, has indirect ties to the National Defense Industry Bureau, and actively promotes the military-civil fusion development of the Chinese defense industry base.
According to the Committee on China Affairs, as of July 15, 2026, at least 10 COSCO vessels have been included in the “Qualship 21” program. Ships listed in this program enjoy certain benefits when arriving at U.S. ports, including reduced frequency of inspections by port-state control authorities. However, the three congressmen pointed out that COSCO’s alleged espionage activities and its connection to the Chinese Communist Party raise serious questions about why the company’s vessels can benefit from this preferential treatment.
“Using state-owned commercial vessels for espionage is a consistent act of dishonesty by the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, we demand the Department of Homeland Security promptly remove COSCO vessels from this privileged list, refuse their renewal, enhance scrutiny of similar enterprises that represent activities by the Chinese military while also being part of China’s industrial base,” the three lawmakers stated in their letter.
COSCO has denied the espionage allegations, stating they are unfounded, and firmly asserting that the communication and navigation equipment on their ships are used solely for lawful commercial purposes. The company stated that no equipment has been used for intercepting military communications or collecting intelligence.
In their letter, the lawmakers requested the Department of Homeland Security to provide information on whether the U.S. Coast Guard has already or plans to carry out additional boarding inspections of COSCO vessels within U.S. jurisdiction using legal provisions outside port-state control, to address the surveillance activities reported by the media. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security needs to clarify whether U.S. intelligence personnel have also identified similar risks with other Chinese or Hong Kong shipping operators.