Fears of China spying on US military prompt GOP hawks to demand retaliation against the shipping giant

Three senior House Republicans are urging the Department of Homeland Security to pull a Chinese shipping giant out of a Coast Guard program that lightens inspection requirements for trusted ships. In an Oct. 14 letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, which Fox News Digital obtained exclusively, they say vessels operated by COSCO should lose their place in the Quality Shipping for the 21st Century program, known as Qualship 21.

The push follows reporting in September, attributed to senior U.S. officials, that COSCO ships carried concealed equipment used to intercept military communications and learn about encryption technologies close to American shores. That has raised fears that commercial ships could serve as intelligence platforms near sensitive U.S. military sites.

The letter comes from John Moolenaar, who chairs the House China Committee; Rick Crawford, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; and Carlos Gimenez, who leads the Homeland Security subcommittee on transportation and maritime security. They note that 11 COSCO ships were enrolled as of July 15, 2026, even though the Pentagon labels the Shanghai-based company, which the Chinese Communist Party owns, a Chinese military company. The lawmakers ask why the company qualified.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →