WSJ: Chinese cargo cranes at US ports pose espionage risk, probe finds

Chess game. Two team stand confront each other on China and USA national flags. Trade war concept.

12/09/2024

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL reports:

Chinese cargo cranes used at U.S. seaports around the country have embedded technology that could allow Beijing to covertly gain access to the machines, making them vulnerable to espionage and disruption, according to a yearlong congressional investigation.

The probe, conducted jointly by the Republican majorities of the House Homeland Security Committee and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, found that the China-based manufacturer of the cranes, ZPMC, had at times pressured port operators to allow the company to maintain remote access.

“Some ports insist on securing their assets, but many cave to the pressure,” the report said, adding that ZPMC had shown particular interest in requesting remote access to its cranes located on the West Coast. Pushing back on ZPMC’s requests, it said, is “difficult for customers who are looking to get the lowest price or guarantee a robust warranty policy.”

Though ostensibly done for diagnostic and maintenance purposes, the committees said the cellular modems built into the cranes could potentially allow access by the Chinese government due to the country’s national-security laws that mandate companies cooperate with state intelligence agencies. In some cases, the investigation uncovered instances where cranes came with cellular modems installed without the knowledge of port authorities and done so beyond the scope of contracts with ZPMC…

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