US' groundless COSCO smearing aimed at protecting its own hegemonic interests: China Daily editorial

In yet another attempt to crack down on Chinese shipping enterprises, two senior officials from the United States administration have made baseless allegations against COSCO Shipping Holdings, claiming that the Chinese company uses "concealed equipment" on its ships to "spy on" military communications near the coastlines of target nations, including the US.

This false accusation is merely a rehash of the give-a-dog-a-bad-name-and-hang-it tactic, which Washington has repeatedly used to justify its suppression of Chinese companies. It is a strategy designed to undermine fair competition, tarnish reputations and advance geopolitical agendas under the guise of "national security".

The accusation further extends the US administration's attack on COSCO and reflects its focus on maritime transport amid the broader geopolitical competition between the two countries.

The US has targeted COSCO on multiple fronts. In January 2025, the Pentagon placed COSCO on its list of "Chinese military-linked companies", subjecting it to reputational damage and procurement bans. Concurrently, the US administration proposed imposing billions of dollars in port fees on Chinese shipping companies ostensibly to revive US shipbuilding. These protectionist measures are in fact aimed at stifling Chinese competitors.

Using its global infrastructure, telecom and financial networks and tools as well as satellites to collect intelligence on other countries around the clock is probably routine business for the US. That is precisely why its politicians so naturally project their own country's practices onto others.

The ill-motivated allegation that COSCO engages in "covert espionage" is not only insulting to a company that has earned its reputation through decades of reliable and professional service in global trade, but also telling of the lengths the US is prepared to go to in a bid to contain China.

The Chinese embassy in the US has unequivocally rejected the US claims. "We oppose vilifying China by peddling the so-called 'intelligence collection' narrative, which is totally baseless," a spokesperson for the embassy said.

The way the latest US allegation was made against COSCO follows a familiar pattern. The officials cited in the Reuters report are anonymous and provide no specific details or even cite verifiable incidents. Instead, they use vague language about "sophisticated signals intelligence collection" platforms.

The US has a long history of weaponizing such unwarranted accusations to systematically target Chinese enterprises across virtually every strategic sector. Huawei and ZTE have long been subjected to the US' global smear campaigns and procurement restrictions. Chinese banks, including major State-owned financial institutions, have been repeatedly threatened with secondary sanctions and cutoff from the dollar-centered financial system for conducting normal business with countries that the US considers adversaries.

The US practices constitute a blatant violation of international law. These coordinated assaults have disrupted global supply chains and harmed Chinese entities' legitimate rights and interests. Rather than protecting US safety, these measures are aimed at preserving US hegemony.

The backlash against such US hegemonic behavior has become evident. A record number of US people now believe there is widespread corruption in the US government, reaching the highest level of distrust in two decades, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in July also revealed that even among many of US allies, the perception of the US has significantly deteriorated.

By prioritizing political self-interest over the public good, some US politicians have systematically eroded governmental credibility and sparked discontent among their own people and the international community. The US administration's accusations of COSCO only serve to expose Washington's own diminishing credibility and hegemonic desperation.