The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that China had negotiated a secret agreement with Cuba to set up an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island around 100 miles (160 km) from Florida, but the governments of both the United States and Cuba strongly disputed the allegation.
The newspaper cited unnamed U.S. sources with knowledge of classified material in saying that such a spy facility would allow Beijing to capture electronic communications from the southeastern U.S., home to major U.S. military facilities.
Tampa serves as the home of U.S. Central Command. North Carolina is home to the largest U.S. military base, Fort Liberty (previously Fort Bragg).
Cuba Will Host A Top-Secret Chinese Spy Base Aimed At The United States
China has agreed in principle to pay Cuba “several billion dollars” to install an eavesdropping station, according to sources quoted by the Journal.
“We have seen the report. It’s not accurate,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told Reuters. However, he did not elaborate on his concerns.
Apparently the United States has “real concerns” about China’s connection with Cuba and is keeping a careful eye on it.
U.S. Defense Department spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder stated, “We are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station.”
Havana’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio slammed the study as “totally mendacious and unfounded,” claiming it was a fiction by the United States to support its decades-long economic embargo against Cuba. He declared that Cuba is opposed to any and all foreign military bases in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The Chinese Embassy in Washington DC issued the following statement: “We are not aware of the case and as a result we can’t give a comment right now.”
The newspaper claims that the deal between the two U.S. competitors, both of which are run by communist governments, has alarmed President Joe Biden’s administration since it poses a new threat to American interests close to home.
According to WSJ, U.S. officials declined to elaborate on the potential listening station’s location or confirm whether or not construction had begun.
The alleged agreement comes as Washington and Beijing take small measures to calm tensions that erupted in February when a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon crossed the United States and was shot down by the U.S. military off the East Coast.
This could cast doubt on Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s next travel to China, as reported by U.S. authorities. The top diplomat in Washington canceled the trip because of the spy balloon. Have a look at the tweet below in which China is working on a secret deal with Cuba to set up a spy base about 100 miles off the coast of Florida.
China’s working on a secret deal with Cuba to set up a spy base about 100 miles off the coast of Florida: reports.
China is reportedly in talks with Cuba about setting up a spy base on the island roughly 100 miles from Florida.Chickens do come home to roost. pic.twitter.com/m2TMNZvN6K
— J. Josef (@DesertBloom1) June 8, 2023
Under the condition of anonymity, a former U.S. intelligence officer said that a Chinese listening post would be a “big deal,” as it would represent an increase of Beijing’s eavesdropping capabilities and give it access to signals intelligence as far north as Washington.
According to former senior CIA hidden officer Daniel Hoffman, China will utilize Cuba as a beachhead for collection against the United States if such a facility is constructed.
However, the United States has a long tradition of spying on China in the region. It often flies spy planes in the South China Sea, which enrages Beijing, and there are reports that it utilized Taiwan as a listening post for the mainland.
In April, the chief of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau informed parliament that Taiwan was sharing encrypted intelligence in real time with its Five Eyes allies, which include the United States.
In Cuba, where inflation, gasoline shortages, falling farm production, and a cash crunch continue to foment dissatisfaction, any influx of cash would undoubtedly be welcomed.
Unfortunately, tensions between Washington and Havana have not eased. Last year, the Biden administration somewhat relaxed restrictions on remittances and travel to the island imposed by the Trump administration. However, Cuban officials criticized the moves as insufficient.
Cuba, a bitter U.S. adversary from the Cold War era, has a long history as a fertile ground for spy activities.
In 1962, the Soviet Union’s deployment of nuclear weapons to Cuba sparked the Cuban missile crisis. A nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union was avoided when both sides eventually backed down and removed their weapons.
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