Political commissars onboard Chinese merchant ships can be tasked with intelligence missions, expert tells The Insider
The state-owned Chinese shipping company COSCO uses covert equipment aboard its vessels to intercept military communications off the coasts of other countries, including the United States, Reuters reported on Sept. 1, citing two senior officials in the Trump administration. According to the officials, COSCO has maintained a decades-long partnership with Beijing, allowing China to intercept communications signals from ships and aircraft in Europe, North America, and Asia.