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The discovery has fueled concerns that the foreign machines may pose a covert national-security risk. The installed components in some cases include cellular modems, according to congressional aides and documents, that could be remotely accessed. The Pentagon and intelligence officials at other agencies have grown increasingly alarmed by the potential threat of disruption and espionage presented by the giant cranes built by ZPMC, a Chinese state-owned manufacturer that accounts for nearly 80% of ship-to-shore cranes in use at U.S. ports. ZPMC didn’t respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t address specific questions about the modems but said claims that China-made cranes pose a national-security risk to the U.S. is “entirely paranoia.”
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