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Steel, Cotton Introduce Protections Against CCP Espionage on U.S. Supply Chains

 

by: Michelle Steel PIO
Published: March 27, 2023

 

WASHINGTON D.C....Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Senator Tom Cotton introduced the “Securing Maritime Data from Communist China Act,” which bans the free, Chinese state-owned logistics platform LOGINK from being used by U.S. military or commercial interests at ports at home or abroad.  

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has the ability to use the platform to track U.S. commercial and military ships, giving the CCP unprecedented insight into the supply chains of the U.S. and our allies. This is a serious national security threat with far reaching implications as competition and tensions with China continue to rise.

Senator Tom Cotton introduced the Senate companion legislation.

 “The world is only now becoming aware of the extent of the Chinese Communist Party’s espionage,” said Rep. Steel. “The CCP has used the data and logistics platform LOGINK for years to spy on our supply chains and gather data about any potential weaknesses. As the CCP continually escalates their aggression towards democracies around the world, the urgency of this legislation cannot be overstated. This threat must be addressed immediately, for the sake of our national security and that of all freedom loving nations.”

“The United States shouldn’t actively aid China’s spy operations,” said Sen. Cotton. “Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happens when we allow our commercial or even military ships to be tracked with LOGINK, a Chinese data collection platform. Our bill would stop the Department of Defense from partnering with any group that uses LOGINK and prevent the software’s spread.”  

Background

 
Overseen by China’s Ministry of Transportation, LOGINK has been in operation since 2007. Concerns surrounding LOGINK are similar to those raised regarding Huawei and ZTE, which Congress banned U.S. agencies from using in 2019.

 

The bill would:

• Ban all DoD usage & DoD contracts with entities using or shares data with the platform
• Require the President to prohibit entities in the United States from using or sharing data with LOGINK
• Require the Administration to report on the threat of LOGINK including a report on U.S. port bans
• Work with international partners to stop its use, and preventing its inclusion in any economic/trade package
  
  Representatives Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Brian Mast (R-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Bill Posey (R-FL), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Michael Guest (R-MS), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Ben Cline (R-VA), Burgess Owens (R-UT) are cosponsors of the legislation.