Congress inquires about Chinese spying risks from cargo cranes: Report

Misty Severi

April 03, 09:06 PM April 03, 09:06 PM

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are requesting classified and unclassified documents from the Department of Homeland Security that reveal potential security vulnerabilities from dozens of Chinese-made cranes used at ports nationwide.

House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) said it was "worrisome" that 80% of U.S. port cranes use Chinese software made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries in China, which has ties to the People’s Liberation Army.

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“On behalf of the American people, this Committee is demanding answers on the risks these cranes pose to U.S. cybersecurity and the resilience of our critical infrastructure, which is a core aspect of the homeland security mission,” Green said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal.

There is no evidence that the Chinese government has used the cranes to conduct nefarious activity at American ports, U.S. officials said. However, the software could be used to observe or manipulate port operations.

The House committee is hoping to hold public and potentially closed-door hearings on the potential security risks by April 18. The committee is requesting documents that show a risk assessment and DHS's mitigation efforts that were directed by Congress in 2021.

In a letter to DHS officials, Green and Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), chairman of the subcommittee on oversight, investigations, and accountability, said if another country exploited potential weakness from the ports, it would have "catastrophic" economic and security consequences for the United States.

“If an adversary exploits the operational technology system of these cranes, port operations could completely shut down, suspending all commercial activity which would also disrupt our nation’s military and commercial supply chains,” the lawmakers said.

“Any potential port shutdown could create catastrophic economic and security consequences. ... These vulnerabilities could provide opportunities to near-peer nation-state adversaries, such as China, to cripple our economy from behind a computer screen,” they added.

Ports in the U.S. help facilitate $5.4 trillion worth of commercial and military goods each year.

Chinese officials dismissed the crane concerns as paranoia and claimed it was an attempt to obstruct the trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and China.