Trump Administration Tracked Huawei, ZTE Workers Suspected To Be Working At Xi Jinping's Spy Sites In Cuba: WSJ

On Monday, U.S. officials revealed that during the Trump administration, they had tracked employees from Chinese telecom giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE entering and exiting facilities in Cuba suspected of housing Chinese eavesdropping operations.

What Happened: The officials reviewed intelligence that showed workers from Huawei and ZTE, both specializing in technology that could facilitate eavesdropping operations, frequenting these facilities, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Biden administration’s stance on this matter remains unclear.

Both Huawei and ZTE have denied any involvement in such activities. Huawei, in a statement, refuted “such groundless accusations,” emphasizing its commitment to compliance with laws and regulations in its operational areas. ZTE did not respond to a request for comment.

According to U.S. officials, Xi Jinping’s government has maintained a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, during Donald Trump’s presidency. The two countries jointly run four eavesdropping stations on the island. The White House has confirmed that Beijing’s efforts to expand its intelligence gathering from Cuba are ongoing.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “deep concerns” about Chinese spying and military activities in Cuba on Tuesday. He assured that the U.S. would be closely monitoring the situation and would take necessary steps to protect its interests.

Why It Matters: The U.S. has long suspected that China might use its telecom companies for espionage. This report adds to the growing concerns about China’s global intelligence expansion, as reported by Benzinga. The U.S. has been persuading its allies to exclude Huawei from their next-generation telecommunications networks, citing these concerns.

These developments come in the wake of recent tensions between the U.S. and China over spy balloon incidents and China’s military expansion in Cuba.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R – Wis.), chairman of the bipartisan Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has sought clarity on U.S. policies regarding the export of U.S. technology to Chinese telecom companies. He has raised concerns about the potential use of these companies in enhancing China’s intelligence capabilities in Cuba.

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