China's New Geopolitical Challenge To US: A Secret Spy Base In Cuba - WSJ

In a bold new geopolitical challenge to the United States, China and Cuba have reportedly reached a secret agreement to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the Cuban island, The Wall Street Journal reports. The facility, located approximately 100 miles from Florida, would enable Chinese intelligence services to intercept electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., including areas with numerous military bases, and monitor U.S. ship traffic.

According to U.S. officials privy to classified intelligence, China has agreed to pay Cuba several billion dollars for the construction of the eavesdropping station. The revelation has sparked concern within the Biden administration due to Cuba’s proximity to the U.S. mainland and the potential threat posed by a Chinese base with advanced military and intelligence capabilities in the U.S. backyard.

John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, stated, “We are well aware of—and have spoken many times to—the People's Republic of China's efforts to invest in infrastructure around the world that may have military purposes, including in this hemisphere.” He added that the U.S. is monitoring the situation closely and taking steps to counter it.

The intelligence on the planned Cuba site, gathered in recent weeks, is described as convincing. The base would enable China to conduct signals intelligence, known in the espionage world as sigint, which could include the monitoring of a range of communications, including emails, phone calls, and satellite transmissions.

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