WSJ reports… “What the ports didn’t ask for.”
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 7th (local time) that communication equipment was discovered in a Chinese-made cargo crane deployed at a port in the United States, raising concerns about national security risks.
WSJ reported this, citing a U.S. Congressional report and congressional officials. Communication equipment was installed at Chinese state-owned company Shanghai Jinhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), which is used in ports across the United States.
The newspaper said the equipment does not appear to support normal operation, raising concerns that it could pose a national security risk.
Among the communication equipment discovered was a cellular modem (wireless modem) that can be accessed remotely.
According to officials, more than a dozen cellular modems were found on a crane in use at a port. He said some of the modems were connected to the crane’s operating parts.
It is not unusual for modems to be installed for crane maintenance and repair, but ports using ZPMC cranes have not requested this function, the newspaper reported. It was equipped with communications equipment that U.S. ports did not require.
Mark Green (Republican, Tennessee), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who has been investigating China’s maritime security threats, said, “The Chinese government can systematically dig into America’s critical infrastructure, including the maritime sector, to collect valuable information and exploit vulnerabilities.” “We are exploring every opportunity that exists,” he said. “The United States has overlooked this threat for too long,” he said.
ZPMC did not respond to WSJ’s request for comment.
Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, criticized the accusation as “complete paranoia.” He argued, “It is an abuse of (US) national power to disrupt (US-China) normal economic and trade cooperation.”
Concerns about ZPMC cranes in the United States have been raised for several years. WSJ reported in 2021 that U.S. authorities discovered intelligence-gathering equipment on a ship transporting cranes to the Port of Baltimore.
According to the newspaper, 80% of the cranes used in U.S. ports are made in China.
Last month, the Joe Biden administration announced that it would invest more than $20 billion (about 26.57 trillion won) over the next five years to replace foreign-made cranes with American-made cranes. It is expected to support the crane manufacturing of Japan’s Mitsui’s U.S. subsidiary.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.