[Using merchant ships to collect intelligence overseas? COSCO Shipping Responds to U.S. Officials’ Remarks: No Factual Basis] On September 4, China Ocean Shipping Group issued a statement saying that the company noticed that some foreign media quoted anonymous U.S. officials as saying that COSCO Shipping ships were equipped with so-called "covert equipment" for monitoring military communications and collecting intelligence. The above remarks have no factual basis and the company firmly opposes them. The communication, navigation, safety and operation-related equipment equipped on the ships operated by the company are all used for normal commercial operations such as navigation safety, ship-shore communication, emergency response, etc. There is no reported use of commercial ships to monitor military communications and collect intelligence. COSCO SHIPPING firmly opposes any behavior that damages the corporate brand image and interferes with the company's international operations with wrong information, and reserves the right to safeguard the company's reputation in accordance with the law.