Threats to the country are on the rise during the Biden-Harris administration.
But some of the biggest dangers are hiding in plain sight.
And Marjorie Taylor Greene sounded the alarm on this scary threat to Miami.
China could destroy America’s economy and infrastructure
America’s ports are where most of the goods flow into and out of the country for trade.
China has been able to gain a foothold in every port in the country.
The cranes used to move goods on and off ships are almost exclusively built in China.
And that is giving the Communist Chinese Party (CCP) secret access to America’s ports.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and House Homeland Security Committee issued a report detailing how China is using cranes as surveillance devices.
Shanghai Zenhua Heavy Industries (ZMPC), a Chinese government-owned company, “dominates the global market share of ship-to-shore (STS) port cranes.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee detailed in a report how China’s increasing control over the shipping industry is a national security threat.
“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 stated. “This vulnerability in our critical infrastructure has the potential to affect Americans from coast to coast.”
Surveillance gear found on Chinese cranes
Roughly 80% of the cranes used at American ports are made by ZMPC.
The report said that ZMPC installed surveillance equipment including modems on its cranes without being requested by port owners.
ZMPC officials would pressure port owners to keep the equipment claiming it helped with remote maintenance and troubleshooting.
“These unknown modems were believed to be installed under the auspices of collecting usage data for the equipment,” the report said, citing contract documents and statements from port operators. “These modems – although not necessary for the operation of the cranes – created an obscure method to collect information, and bypass firewalls in a manner that could potentially disrupt port operations.”
Ports in South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland are used by nearby military bases.
The Chinese government could potentially use the ZMPC cranes to disrupt American ports.
“It wouldn’t be hard for an attacker to disable one sensor on a crane and prevent the crane from moving,” former Houston port cybersecurity chief Chris Wolski told the Wall Street Journal. “These systems aren’t designed for security, they are designed for operations.”
Earlier this year, Coast Guard John Admiral Vann gave a chilling message to the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security about ZMPC cranes.
“We have found…openings to vulnerabilities that are there by design,” Vann said.
Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) was the Mayor of Miami Dade Couty, where the Port of Miami used ZMPC cranes.
He introduced a bill to ban more purchases of Chinese-made cranes by American ports and encourage domestic manufacturing.
China has quietly inserted itself into key parts of the country’s critical infrastructure.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
