Specifically, the cranes that worry the United States are those manufactured by the Chinese company ZPMCwhich some officials compare to a ‘Troy Horse‘. Specifically, it is feared that they will incorporate sensors capable of recording and tracking the origin and destination of all the merchandise that moves at the docks of the North American country.

According to a former senior US counterintelligence official, the cranes could also be remotely accessed, allowing the flow of goods to be disrupted if Beijing so wishes. With the information collected, China could know what is the military material that leaves the North American country and what is its destination.

It should be remembered that the United States has been trying to limit the use of Chinese technology in the country for some time, specifically that which, it considers, can be used by the Chinese government for espionage. A few years ago, it prevented Huawei technology from accessing solutions and hardware developed in the US. Also, at the end of 2022, the government decided to ban the use of the TikTok application on government devices. Recently, tensions between the two countries increased even more due to the detection of spy balloons over United States territory.

The Chinese company ZPMC has been marketing cranes in the United States for twenty years, where they have carved out an important niche thanks to their good quality and low price. Currently, the company controls about 70% of the world market for cranes and has placed its devices in the ports of more than 100 countries.

The machinery is controlled by Chinese-made software and is operated, at least in part, by Chinese nationals holding two-year US visas. The concerns of the North American country have been classified by Beijing as “completely paranoid”, also, it points out that they are aimed at “misleading the American public”.