INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Ever since US shot down a giant Chinese surveillance balloon over its airspace last month, there has been heightened global
scrutiny on the scale of Beijing's spying operations
Now, American officials have raised concerns over the possibility of a "new tool" of spying hiding in plain sight: giant Chinese-made cranes
operating at US ports.According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Pentagon officials suspect that cranes made by Chinese
manufacturer ZPMC operating at ports across America are being used to register sensitive information.Trojan horseOfficials have compared
these "ship-to-shore" cranes, which are well-built but inexpensive, to a "Trojan horse".They said that these cranes contain sophisticated
sensors which can register and track the provenance and destination of containers, enabling China to capture information about materiel
being shipped in or out of US to support its military operations around the world, the report said.In fact, Bill Evanina, a former top US
counterintelligence official, told WSJ that these cranes could also provide remote access for someone looking to disrupt the flow of
countries over fears of espionage.Spying fearsThe WSJ report said that ZPMC cranes entered US market around two decades ago, offering
good-quality equipment that are significantly cheaper than Western suppliers
Over the years, it has grown into a major player in the global automated-ports industry."ZPMC executives were often celebrated around the
US, where no comparable cranes are manufactured," the report said.However, the recent international uproar over spy balloons has brought
China's military surveillance capabilities back into the spotlight.From baggage-screening systems to electrical transformers, US officials
have been pointing to a range of Chinese equipment that could facilitate either surveillance or disruptions.So far, US officials have not
found any direct instances of Chinese cranes being used for espionage operations
But the possibility is enough to raise alarm.In an assessment conducted by the Defence Intelligence Agency in 2021, it was found that
Beijing could potentially throttle port traffic or gather intelligence on military equipment being shipped
Meanwhile, ports in Virginia, South Carolina and Maryland, which are at times used by nearby US military bases, have acquired new cranes
from ZPMC in the last two years
This has prompted concern within the US national-security community and FBI, people familiar with the matter told WSJ.According to the
report, FBI agents searched a cargo ship delivering ZPMC cranes to the Baltimore port in 2021 and found intelligence-gathering equipment on
board.William Doyle, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration, told WSJ that the Baltimore port had purchased four cranes from
He said that they are continually scanning the networks for security
'Overly paranoid'Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry has dismissed the WSJ report as "overly paranoid", saying that it will mislead the
trade and economic cooperation with China
