U.S. targeting Chinese grip on global ports
INTERNATIONAL – ASIA
17 SEPTEMBER 2025
- U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is on a mission to weaken China’s global network of ports and bring more strategic terminals under Western control, according to three sources familiar with the plan.
- The drive is part of the most ambitious effort to expand U.S. maritime influence since the 1970s and is designed to address growing fears in Washington that it would be at a disadvantage to China in the event of a conflict.
- Trump administration officials believe the U.S. commercial shipping fleet is ill-equipped to provide logistical support for the military in time of war and Washington’s dependence on foreign ships and ports is excessive.
- The concern is that China could leverage its control over these assets for espionage, military advantage or to disrupt supply chains during geopolitical crises.
- Options the White House is considering include supporting private U.S. or Western firms to buy Chinese stakes in ports.
- An example cited is BlackRock’s proposed deal to buy the port assets of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison in 23 countries, including by the Panama Canal.
- Besides Panama, U.S. officials and lawmakers are concerned about Chinese maritime infrastructure holdings in places including Greece and Spain, the Caribbean, and U.S. West Coast ports, according to the sources.
- The U.S. intends to look at Chinese interests in the Greek port of Piraeus. Situated in Athens, in the eastern Mediterranean, Piraeus is a pivotal hub on the trade route linking Europe, Africa and Asia.
- COSCO, one of China’s biggest port and shipping groups, holds a 67% stake in the Piraeus Port Authority company.
- According to a report published last year by the Council of Foreign Relations, a U.S. think-tank, China had investments in 129 port projects worldwide through various companies, as of August 2024.
- China’s shipbuilding industry is also estimated to be 230 times larger than U.S. shipyard capacity, meaning it could take decades to catch up, according to U.S. Navy estimates.
- The U.S. maritime push has contributed to tensions with Beijing, which sees port and shipping assets as integral to its Belt and Road initiative, at a time when the two superpowers are already at loggerheads over trade and tariffs.
- Mr. Trump has also flagged seizing the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland as an objective, due to its proximity to the Arctic and key shipping lanes.
