China has invested in, built, or rented ports in over 60 countries over the past decade, some of which are key locations for maritime trade and military presence. These ports are not only in developing countries but also in the developed world. In June, China’s largest state-owned shipping and logistics services supplier, China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), announced that it plans to acquire a stake in the Port of Hamburg. The Hamburg port is the largest seaport in Germany, the third-busiest port in Europe, and the 15th-largest in the world. Before the Port of Hamburg deal, COSCO already had control in Greece’s Port of Piraeus, Italy’s Port of Trieste, Spain’s Port of Valencia, Belgium’s Port of Antwerp, and many more across Asia, Africa, and South America. “Today, China owns 96 ports around the world … giving Beijing strategic dominance without having to deploy a single soldier, ship, or weapon,” wrote former British …