Loadstar Leader: Washington’s Cosco spying claims a new hat on an old head
US intelligence officials believe Chinese state-owned carrier Cosco uses concealed equipment onboard its ships to spy on military communications near the coastlines of target nations including the US. The shipping line is also said to have a decades-long intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing. The claims come ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington DC in just over three weeks.
Why it matters: This relates to the theme of geopolitical tensions in trade and security, as espionage allegations against a major state-owned shipping line could affect bilateral relations and maritime trade dynamics.