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Shipping company with eyes on Kirkenes is blacklisted by the USA

Several Chinese companies present in Norway are accused of having military ties.

The U.S. military has placed China's large shipping company China Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco) on its "blacklist."

The company has invested in ports internationally and has also shown interest in the port of Kirkenes.

The company is now on the U.S. Department of Defense's list of Chinese companies allegedly linked to the Chinese military, which Cosco denies.

Professor Kåre Dahl Martinsen at the Institute for Defense Studies wrote a book on geopolitical economic warfare last year. He says this is a clear signal from the American authorities.

– It is a signal from the USA to China that "we are keeping an eye on you."

– What kind of list is this?

– This is a warning list from the American authorities. They consider that this company serves the interests of the Chinese military and they warn American public actors against using it.

Interest in Kirkenes

Cosco has gained an increasingly stronger foothold in European ports in recent years.

They have established themselves in Rotterdam and Antwerp, and also manage the port of Piraeus in Athens, which is one of the most important ports in Europe.

As recently as 2022, Cosco also acquired a stake in the port of Hamburg in Germany, despite warnings from the EU Commission. They feared that sensitive information about the activities in the port could be sent to the Chinese authorities.

In Norway, the Intelligence Service has pointed this out and warned against it happening here as well.

Even though Cosco has an office in Norway, the group has no container ships or terminals in the country. They use local partners to transport their goods.

They offer shipping to and from the ports in Kristiansand, Brevik, Larvik, Oslo, Moss, Fredrikstad, Bergen, Ålesund, Tananger, Orkanger, Haugesund, Måløy, and Sortland.

In Kirkenes, the company has shown clear interest in further activity at the port there.

The mayor of Kirkenes, Magnus Mæland, believes that the U.S. "blacklisting" of Cosco illustrates how Kirkenes is a unique place that must deal with what happens in the rest of the world.

– We already know that the security authorities have been clear about the risks of Chinese presence. The relationship with China is a difficult balancing act where it is in Norway's interest to trade with China. But at the same time, we must be careful not to become dependent, says Mæland.

"It is clear that when Norway's closest allies blacklist companies, it is something the Norwegian authorities must take into account." This is complicated, and once again I must refer to the government on how this should be addressed, says the mayor of Kirkenes.

NRK has previously reported how the port manager in Kirkenes worked for a year and a half to establish a collaboration with Cosco.

According to Kirkenes port, the dialogue has revolved around leasing or using areas, but the port should still have Norwegian owners.

After NRK reported on the dialogue between Kirkenes port and the Chinese state-owned company, the government issued a clear message that they would not allow Chinese establishments.

Hope the Cosco-flirt is put on hold

Kåre Dahl Martinsen, who is a professor of Norwegian security policy at the Norwegian Defence University College, believes that the U.S. blacklisting of Cosco should have consequences for the assessment in Kirkenes.

– I hope this leads to the Cosco plans in Kirkenes being put on hold.

– Why is that?

"If this is a company that both the USA and the EU consider a tool for Chinese influence, then one must ask whether we should allow Kirkenes port to become a place where China can exert significant influence, when the port plays a key role in Norwegian preparedness," says Dahl Martinsen, referring to warnings against Cosco in the EU parliament.

Now he points out that Kirkenes is NATO's closest port to the Russian Northern Fleet.

– We are increasingly seeing that China and Russia are operating together. They are not there just for the sake of it.

Cosco responds

NRK has contacted Cosco Norway for a comment. They refer to a statement from the headquarters, which says they will contact the Pentagon to be removed from the list of companies that are warned against.

"Cosco Shipping and its subsidiaries have always followed local laws and regulations, and adhered to strict compliance in all international operations."

We emphasize that none of the mentioned companies are "Chinese military companies." We will work with U.S. authorities to clarify this. Being on this list does not entail any sanctions or export controls, and our global activities are not affected by this," the statement from the headquarters reads.

More companies on the list

The main purpose of the American list, according to U.S. authorities, is to identify and dissuade American companies from doing business with these entities. The list is updated regularly and was released in a new edition on January 7.

In addition to Cosco Shipping, several well-known Chinese companies were listed:

• Tencent – which owns Norway's largest gaming company Funcom
• CATL – the car battery manufacturer that supplies Tesla batteries
• China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) – which is one of Equinor's Chinese partners

From earlier, other friends of Norway are also on the list:

• ChinaChem, which owns Elkem
• The technology company Huawei
• Drone giant DJI
• The video surveillance companies Hikvision and Dahua
• China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) is another state-owned company on the list, primarily engaged in engineering and construction activities.

The relevant ministries have not yet provided any answers to NRK's questions about the matter.

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