Potential China threats to U.S. Port Infrastructure Security: House Homeland Security Committee

The GOP-led House Committee on Homeland Security warned Thursday that China's dominance in the global maritime shipping industry "creates significant cybersecurity and national security vulnerabilities" for the U.S. and its allies.

The committee announced the findings in a summary of the report in which it also said Shanghai Zenhua Heavy Industries, a Chinese-owned and -operated company, "dominates the global market share of ship-to-shore (STS) port cranes."

The full 52-page report goes into further detail on how China's "broader maritime infrastructure dominance creates significant cybersecurity and national security vulnerabilities for both the United States and our allies."

"The evidence gathered during our joint investigation indicates that ZPMC could, if desired, serve as a Trojan horse capable of helping the [Chinese Communist Party] and the [People's Republic of China's] military exploit and manipulate U.S. maritime equipment and technology at their request," the report also states. "This vulnerability in our critical infrastructure has the potential to affect Americans from coast to coast."

In addition, the report concludes the U.S. has given the CCP the ability to track the movement of goods through American ports or "even halt port activity at the drop of a hat" with potential implications for "long-term economic security."