Are U.S. concerns about Chinese technology reasonable?

Recently, the Biden administration announced a significant investment in domestic manufacturing of cargo handling cranes to eliminate potential threats to national security posed by the use of Chinese-made cranes equipped with advanced software in U.S. ports. This move has sparked a new round of discussions on technology security and international competition. The intertwining of technology competition and security issues in current international relations may also affect the future direction of relations, prompting widespread international attention and concerns. For example, how do technology security issues affect international relations and trade cooperation? How to balance technology cooperation and competition while ensuring national security? How to assess and address security vulnerabilities in port infrastructure? Is technological upgrading sufficient to address potential espionage and sabotage risks? Are U.S. concerns about Chinese technology reasonable? In the context of globalization, how to achieve a balance between technology security and international cooperation? According to media reports, U.S. government officials revealed that over the next five years, the government will invest over $20 billion in enhancing port security, including the production of domestic cargo handling cranes. This funding will come from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021, totaling $1 trillion, and will support a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation in producing cranes in the United States. U.S. government officials said this would be the first time in 30 years that cranes are produced domestically in the United States. At a recent media briefing, John Vann, head of the U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command, expressed concerns about the possibility that some cranes may be designed for remote control, maintenance, and programming, which could make them vulnerable to malicious exploitation. Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, also said, “We do believe there are potential strategic risks here.“ She further explained, “These cranes are primarily used for the loading and unloading of large containers at ports. If they are encrypted in criminal attacks or leased or controlled by hostile forces, this will have real implications for our country’s economy and the ability of our military to transport goods through ports.“ U.S. officials have recently raised serious concerns again about Chinese-made cranes, claiming that the software installed on these devices may be manipulated by the Chinese, thus severely affecting the U.S. shipping industry. They even predict that such manipulation could lead to a temporary halt in U.S. shipping activities, causing significant losses to the U.S. economy and military transportation.