# US allegations of COSCO maritime espionage > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-allegations-of-cosco-maritime-espionage > Updated: 2026-09-05T07:33:51.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2. U.S. officials have accused the Chinese state-owned shipping company COSCO of utilizing commercial vessels to conduct maritime espionage. According to senior Trump administration officials, the company allegedly uses sophisticated, concealed signals intelligence equipment to intercept military communications and monitor encryption developments across Asia, Europe, and North America. Officials claim this intelligence-gathering capability supports China’s maritime reconnaissance and territorial disputes. These allegations follow the Pentagon’s January 2025 decision to add COSCO to a list of companies linked to the Chinese military. COSCO has rejected the claims, describing them as ‘totally unfounded’ and false. The company maintains that its onboard communication, navigation, and safety equipment is used strictly for legitimate commercial purposes. Similarly, the Chinese Embassy in Washington stated that the Chinese government would not require companies to violate local laws to collect intelligence abroad. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-05: COSCO denies U.S. allegations of maritime spying COSCO SHIPPING has denied U.S. allegations that its cargo ships carry advanced surveillance equipment to monitor military communications for the Chinese government, calling the claims ‘totally unfounded’. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cosco-denies-us-allegations-of-maritime-spying ### 2026-09-01: COSCO accused of using commercial ships for Chinese military espionage U.S. officials allege that China's COSCO uses concealed equipment on commercial ships to spy on military communications and encryption across North America, Europe, and Asia. 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-officials-allege-cosco-ships-used-for-chinese-espionage --- Cite as: US allegations of COSCO maritime espionage. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-allegations-of-cosco-maritime-espionage