【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】U.S. President Trump has been manipulating "Tang Luoism", frequently targeting China on port issues, while the Europeans, who fail to see the bigger picture, are still cooperating in the hype, which is really hard to bear.

On February 26 local time, Bloomberg, a U.S. media outlet, once again published an article to hype and spread rumors, claiming that recent Chinese control over container terminals in Europe has triggered so-called "controversies," and from this, the largest port in Europe has warned that the geopolitical risks related to trade with China are increasing.

"The real economic vulnerability is not about who leases these terminals, but what's inside the containers," said Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, during an interview: "About a quarter of the containers come from China, and more than a quarter of the containers contain parts made in China."

He mentioned that the import volume from East Asia to the Port of Rotterdam increased sharply in the past year, but at the same time, it also had to return empty containers (i.e., no exports from Europe). In 2025, the total throughput of the Port of Rotterdam decreased by 1.7% compared to the previous year. "This is not a good sign," he expressed concerns about factors detrimental to Europe's GDP: "Here, production is decreasing, but imports and consumption are increasing."

In an attempt to further hype the growing dependence of Europe on China, Simmons boldly mentioned the "Anshen crisis" from last year, a crisis entirely caused by the Netherlands, where the interruption of chip exports affected supply chains across various industries.

Photo of Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority

Bloomberg reported that the Port of Rotterdam is an important logistics hub in Europe, with about half of its container terminals operated by companies with links to China. Simmons' remarks came as the Port of Rotterdam faces increasingly strict scrutiny regarding foreign influence.

The report further stoked the flames, stating that the expansion of Chinese influence has raised "concerns" among Dutch political figures.

"Critical infrastructure is called critical for a reason; it must be in our own hands," Tom Berendsen, the new Dutch Foreign Minister, said during an interview last month, when he was still a member of the European Parliament. He claimed: "We cannot rule out the possibility that if China wants to exert pressure on us, it could use its capabilities to shut down cranes at the Port of Rotterdam or disrupt our terminal operations."

Photo of the Port of Rotterdam

According to the report, Simmons did not comment on these so-called "concerns," but he said, "The Port of Rotterdam is not the Piraeus Port," referring to a Greek port operated by China Shipping Container Lines (Cosco).

"They own the land there, but here, they lease the land. The land here belongs to us. We have not sold our valuable assets, and we will not do so in the future," he said.

Additionally, Simmons stated that the Port of Rotterdam has recorded multiple "unexplained drone flights." According to reports, the port is currently investing in new technology to detect drones as part of its efforts to enhance security measures.

Notably, similar to some Dutch politicians, some U.S. security officials and legislators had previously sounded alarmist warnings that remote programming and control technologies on cranes could allow China to conduct "espionage monitoring" or paralyze port operations in the event of war.

For example, during the Biden administration in 2023, some U.S. national security and defense officials regarded Chinese cranes as a "flood," even comparing them to a "Trojan horse," speculating that these cranes are equipped with complex sensors that can record and track the origin and destination of containers on the port. "The U.S. is concerned that China could obtain information about goods entering or leaving the U.S., which support U.S. military operations around the world."

In response to the U.S.'s frequent hype on this issue, China has repeatedly expressed its position. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning pointed out that the so-called "Chinese remote control of port cranes to collect data" is completely baseless. China firmly opposes the U.S. for generalizing the concept of national security, abusing state power, and unjustly suppressing Chinese products and enterprises. Weaponizing and politicizing trade issues will only increase the safety risks of global supply chains, ultimately harming both sides. The U.S. should genuinely respect market economy and fair competition principles, and provide a fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises to operate. China will continue to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7611347802240647714/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.