U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that giant Chinese-made cranes operating in U.S. ports across the country, including several used by the military, could provide Beijing with a possible spying tool.

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Some national security and Pentagon officials have compared the ship-to-shore cranes, made by Chinese manufacturer ZPMC, to a Trojan horse.

Although relatively high-quality and inexpensive, the cranes contain sophisticated sensors that can register and track the origin and destination of containers.

This raises concerns that China could obtain information about goods being shipped into or out of the country to support US military operations around the world.

Bill Evanina, a former US counterintelligence official, suggests the cranes could also provide remote access for those looking to disrupt the flow of goods.

"The faucets could become the new Huawei," Evanina said, referring to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co., whose equipment was effectively banned by U.S. officials after warnings it could be used to spy on Americans.

In turn, a representative of the Chinese embassy in Washington said that the US concern about the cranes is paranoia and an attempt to hinder trade and economic cooperation with China.

"Playing the 'China card' and putting forward the theory of the 'Chinese threat' is irresponsible and will harm the interests of the United States itself," he added.

Previously, the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania recommended not to use the popular social network TikTok, because user data may be available to Chinese intelligence.

We will remind, according to The Economist publication, Beijing was angry with the Russian Federation due to the leakage of data on the supply of Chinese weapons.

Read also:

  • How the situation on the battlefield will change if China provides Russia with weapons: the explanation of an American general

  • The Russian Federation's war against Ukraine is part of China's global plan: an ex-KGB officer revealed Beijing's plan

  • Xi Jinping called "China's basic position" regarding Russia's war in Ukraine

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