Eleven Chinese-owned ships currently enjoy fast-track entry into American ports. They skip routine inspections because they are on a trusted list. This fact alone should raise alarms for anyone who cares about security. The company behind these vessels is COSCO. It is owned by the Chinese Communist Party. The Pentagon already labeled it a military company. Yet these ships still get the green light at our docks.
Three Republican lawmakers want this to end. House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar led the charge. He joined forces with Rep. Rick Crawford and Rep. Carlos Gimenez. They sent a letter on October 14 to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The letter demanded immediate action against COSCO. It asked for the removal of its ships from the Qualship 21 program. This program rewards commercial operators with good safety records. It allows them to face fewer inspections. The lawmakers argue that safety records no longer matter here. National security concerns must take precedence.
The trigger for this push was a September report. Senior U.S. officials alleged serious misconduct. They claimed COSCO vessels used hidden equipment to spy. These ships allegedly intercepted military communications near our coasts. The equipment gathered intelligence on encryption technologies. This happened while the ships were in American waters. COSCO denies these claims outright. The company calls the allegations unfounded. It states its equipment is for legitimate use only. But the lawmakers do not accept this denial at face value.
The Pentagon added COSCO to a specific list in January 2025. This is the Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies. The designation cites ties to the People's Liberation Army. It highlights the company's role in military-civil fusion. This strategy blends civilian and military efforts for Beijing. The letter questions why a listed military company gets perks. It asks why the Coast Guard keeps them on the trusted list. The lawmakers want to know if intelligence warnings existed before the news broke. They want to know if those warnings were ignored.
The inquiry goes deeper than just one company. The lawmakers asked about other potential risks. They questioned the status of Hong Kong-based shipping operators. Beijing has tightened control over that territory. This raises new questions about flag administration qualifications. The letter also asked about crew investigations. Did authorities look for spies on board? Did they check shipping routes for strange patterns? These are basic questions for any security review. The lawmakers want answers from the Coast Guard. They want to know if current laws are enough. Or if new coordination between agencies is needed.
The Coast Guard updated its rules earlier this year. It expanded reasons for removing vessels from the program. Sanctioned entities are now a clear cause for removal. The lawmakers press DHS to apply similar logic here. Pentagon designations should factor into eligibility decisions. The letter was copied to the director of national intelligence. It was also sent to the Coast Guard commandant. Officials have not yet responded to these demands. The ships remain on the list for now. The question of who gets to dock without inspection remains open.
This situation highlights a gap in our border security. We trust commercial records over national security warnings. The lawmakers are pushing to close that gap. They want stricter scrutiny for all CCP-linked operators. The fate of these eleven ships depends on that decision. The American public deserves to know if our ports are secure. The answer lies in how DHS responds to this letter.