A Chinese Military-Listed Shipping Giant Still Gets Fewer Coast Guard Inspections at U.S. Ports. End That Privilege Now
Three House chairmen asked DHS on Oct. 14 to strip COSCO vessels from the Coast Guard's Qualship 21 program, which rewards trusted ships with fewer port inspections. In our view, a company on the Pentagon's Chinese military list should never get the benefit of the doubt in American harbors.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 16, 2026 | 6-min read Here is a fact most Americans would find hard to believe. A shipping company owned by the Chinese government, and listed by the Pentagon since January 2025 as a Chinese military company, has had vessels enrolled in a U.S. Coast Guard program that rewards trusted ships with fewer routine inspections when they enter American ports [1][2]. On Oct. 14, three House Republican chairmen asked Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to end that privilege [1][3]. In our view, they are right, and DHS should act without waiting for another headline. Key Takeaways House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar, House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford and Rep. Carlos Gimenez wrote to DHS on Oct. 14 about COSCO's enrollment in the Coast Guard's Qualship 21 program [1][3]. The letter says at least 10 COSCO vessels were enrolled as of July 15, 2026; enrollees receive "reduced Port State Control examination frequency" [1]. The Pentagon added COSCO to its Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies in January 2025 and kept it on the list published in June 2026 [4][5]. Reuters reported Sept. 1 that two senior U.S. officials said COSCO uses concealed equipment to collect intelligence; COSCO and Beijing deny it [2][6]. The