China's Spy Base In Cuba: Biden Administration Sheds Light On Global Intelligence Expansion

A Biden administration official has disclosed that China has maintained a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019 as part of its worldwide initiative to enhance intelligence collection capabilities.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the senior official stated that the U.S. intelligence community has long been aware of China's espionage activities in Cuba and its broader attempt to establish intelligence-gathering operations worldwide.

Last week, the White House pushed back the WSJ report, which stated that China and Cuba had reached a secret agreement to establish a spy facility on the island. At that time, the White House official said there's been no new deal, and the facilities had been in place for years. 

According to the report, the base in Cuba would enable Chinese intelligence services to intercept electronic communications across the Southeastern U.S., home to numerous military bases, and monitor ship traffic in the region.

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On Saturday, the White House said the Biden administration was initially informed of China's ambition to enlarge its global military and intelligence footprint. This encompassed initiatives in regions such as the Atlantic Ocean, Latin America, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific.

According to a statement, the administration said the "intelligence collection facilities" in Cuba were part of China's efforts, which it mentioned had been augmented in 2019. 

The White House also noted that China "will keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba, and we will keep working to disrupt it." The statement also pointed to ongoing issues related to Beijing's operations on the island, stating, “We think the PRC isn’t quite where they had hoped to be.”

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