Some Chinese-made cranes used at U.S. ports contain communications equipment that has no clear purpose or installation records, according to a new congressional investigation, raising U.S. concerns that the cranes could be used for surveillance or sabotage. CNN.
The investigation by the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Select Committee on China focused on more than 200 Chinese-made cranes installed at U.S. ports and related facilities.
The investigation comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and China over national security, and last month the Coast Guard ordered ports to better secure Chinese-made cranes.
House lawmakers decided that crane-mounted equipment — portable modems that can be used for remote communications — was not included in the contract between U.S. ports and Chinese crane manufacturer ZPMC, a congressional source familiar with the investigation told CNN.
When U.S. port employees traveled to China to inspect the cranes, the modems were already installed, the consultant said. According to the assistant, modems were found several times on the ZPMC crane.
Our committees' investigations have found vulnerabilities in cranes at U.S. ports that could allow the Chinese Communist Party to use espionage not only to undermine business competitors, but also to disrupt supply chains and the movement of goods, devastating our nation's economy. Without rapid change, we will continue to give the Chinese Communist Party an easy tool to penetrate our critical infrastructure in its quest for global dominance.
– said Representative Mark Green, Republican Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
In a statement posted on its website, ZPMC said it is “always committed to providing high-quality products and services to customers around the world. ZPMC always strictly adheres to applicable laws and regulations of relevant countries.”
Liu Bingyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told CNN that claims that Chinese-made cranes pose a security risk are “completely paranoid.”
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