China Planning to Monitor USA from Base in Cuba: Last Minute Update
Cuban Officials Deny Reports of Chinese Military Base
Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, has dismissed reports that China has established a military base on the island as false. The allegation, which was first reported in the Wall Street Journal, claimed that China had colluded with Cuba to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility about 100 miles from the US state of Florida. The facility would reportedly have the capability to monitor electronic communications and ship traffic in the southeastern United States, where many US military bases are located.
According to the report, China would pay Cuba “a few billion dollars” in exchange for the new facility, which would establish a listening post along the Beijing-Havana axis and potentially give China an advantage over the United States in the region. However, Cuban officials denied the allegations, stating that the news was false and deliberately spread to justify US sanctions against the country.
The Cuban government has long maintained that it rejects “any military presence” in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the US base at Guantanamo. Speaking to the press, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio emphasized that the United States is trying to destabilize the island with “groundless” and “false” claims. He accused US officials of making up such slanders, saying “It seems intelligence does. There is no justification whatsoever.”
The news of the alleged Chinese military base in Cuba has reportedly alarmed the Joe Biden administration. White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby, while not commenting specifically on the allegations, stated that the US monitors China’s investment activities around the world, including infrastructure investment that can be used for military purposes. The US takes the necessary steps to counter this both in the country and around the world.
The allegations come amid growing tensions between the US and China as the two countries engage in a battle for global influence. While Chinese officials have yet to respond to the allegations, the reports will likely add to the already heightened tensions between the US and China, with potentially significant implications for regional security.
