As the South Korean government investigates Chinese-made port cranes over security concerns, several ports recently announced they will stop using them and instead rely on domestic manufacturers.
South Korea’s intelligence agency launched a security investigation against Chinese-made cranes in March. According to South Korean news portal sedaily.com, the Korean government is looking to frame follow-up measures based on the probe results of all Chinese-made cranes currently underway. Steps will also be taken against existing Chinese-made cranes this year.
According to multiple South Korean news outlets, the country’s top-ranked Busan Port announced on April 14 that all cranes installed in new terminals will come from Korean manufacturers.
Workers load a container filled with relief goods for North Korea onto a ship at the western port city of Incheon, South Korea, on Aug. 30, 2006. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images
The authority of Incheon Port, the second largest port in South Korea, said it prefers to recruit port operators who intend to buy domestically made cranes.
Yeosu-Gwangyang Port Authority also said that it plans to purchase 43 cranes from Korean companies, which will be installed at the Gwangyang automation port later this year.
Security Concerns
Security concerns prompt South Korean ports to switch to domestic products.
U.S. officials expressed concern that Chinese-made giant cargo cranes used in ports across the United States, including several operated by the U.S. military, could be used as a spying tool by China’s communist regime, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 5.
Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) is the most prominent Chinese port container crane manufacturer that sells cranes at lower prices than Western companies. ZPMC dominates about 70 percent of the world market. Nearly 80 percent of the cranes at U.S. ports are the products of ZPMC, according to the Journal.
In a 2017 video posted on Microsoft’s website, Huang Qingfeng, then president of ZPMC, touted that all cranes can be monitored to help resolve technical problems from its main office in Shanghai.
U.S. security agencies found that ZPMC-produced cranes have sophisticated sensors that can register and track the origin and destination of containers, which may grant the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) access to information on materials shipped to and from the United States that are used to support U.S. military operations around the world, according to the Journal.
Bill Evanina, former director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), speaks during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Select Committee on the threats to national security from China on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 4, 2021. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
Bill Evanina, former director of the National Counterintelligence Security Center (NCSC), told the Journal on March 5 that Chinese cranes can be “the new Huawei.”
“It’s the perfect combination of legitimate business that can also masquerade as clandestine intelligence collection,” he said.
The United States banned telecommunication equipment from Chinese tech giant Huawei as its device threatened national security in November 2022.
National Power Party Congressman Ahn Byung-gil cited data that showed that of the 809 cranes operating in 10 major ports in Korea, 427 are the products of ZPMC, accounting for 52.8 percent of the market, the Chinese language edition of Chosun reported on April 15.
The Port of Pyeongtaek is critical for the stationed U.S. forces’ weapons and military materials (including armor). However, the report said that Chinese-made cranes make up 75 percent of the total cranes at the port.
Of the total number of cranes, Chinese cranes make up 55.4 percent in Busan Port, 68.1 percent in Incheon Port, and 62.5 percent in Ulsan Port. The other five ports—Mokpo, Pohang, Gunsan, Masan, and Taesan—use completely Chinese cranes, according to Chosun.
Lisa Bian, B.Med.Sc., is a healthcare professional holding a Bachelor's Degree in Medical Science. With a rich background, she has accrued over three years of hands-on experience as a Traditional Chinese Medicine physician. In addition to her clinical expertise, she serves as an accomplished writer based in Korea, providing valuable contributions to The Epoch Times. Her insightful pieces cover a range of topics, including integrative medicine, Korean society, culture, and international relations.
