China to Establish Spy Facility in Cuba, Report Says

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, China and Cuba reached a “secret agreement” to establish a spy facility on the Caribbean island.

The outlet cited U.S. officials who reportedly said they’re “familiar with highly classified intelligence.”

The “eavesdropping facility” would allow China to capture electronic communications in the southeast United States, where many military bases are located, the outlet reports.

“Officials familiar with the matter said that China has agreed to pay cash-strapped Cuba several billion dollars to allow it to build the eavesdropping station,” The Wall Street Journal says.

If this intelligence is true, are we in the midst of a new Cold War?

Perhaps this is fearmongering by the war-hawks to frighten Americans to agree with a conflict with China?

China will pay Cuba to host a secret spy base, where Beijing could monitor American ships and electronic communications across the southeastern U.S. https://t.co/KR8feLUc5a

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 8, 2023

BREAKING: Cuba To Host Secret Chinese Spy Base To Spy On The U.S

China and Cuba have come to a secret agreement which will allow China to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island.

The facility would be located roughly 100 miles from Florida and would allow… pic.twitter.com/FP8Ncmbd8R

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 8, 2023

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The revelation about the planned site has sparked alarm within the Biden administration because of Cuba’s proximity to the U.S. mainland. Washington regards Beijing as its most significant economic and military rival. A Chinese base with advanced military and intelligence capabilities in the U.S.’s backyard could be an unprecedented new threat.

“While I cannot speak to this specific report, 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,” John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said. “We monitor it closely, take steps to counter it, and remain confident that we are able to meet all our security commitments at home, in the region, and around the world.”

U.S. officials described the intelligence on the planned Cuba site, apparently gathered in recent weeks, as convincing. They said 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.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington had no comment. Cuba’s Embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Officials declined to provide more details about the proposed location of the listening station or whether construction had begun. It couldn’t be determined what, if anything, the Biden administration could do to stop completion of the facility.

The outlet noted the infamous 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, where the United States and Soviet Union were on the brink of nuclear war.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby claimed the report is “not accurate.”

WATCH:

MSNBC: "China and Cuba have now reached a secret agreement…for China to establish an electronic facility…to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S."

KIRBY: "It's not accurate."

MSNBC: "You're saying it's not accurate that they're planning this?"… pic.twitter.com/HaKLQW5CWU

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 8, 2023

There has also been concern about China owning U.S. farmland, especially near sensitive military locations.

From Forbes:

China owns roughly 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to a 2021 report from the Department of Agriculture. Of that, 195,000 acres, worth almost $2 billion when purchased, are owned by 85 Chinese investors, which could be individuals, companies or the government. The other 189,000 acres were worth $235 million when purchased and are owned by 62 U.S. corporations with Chinese shareholders. Chinese agricultural land ownership only increased about 550 acres from 2015 to 2019. Then ownership jumped 30% from 2019 to 2020, from some 247,000 acres to roughly 352,000. U.S. companies with Chinese shareholders more than doubled their acreage that year, accounting for 102,000 acres of the growth. China acquired another 32,000 U.S. agricultural acres in 2021—not as much as they scooped up in 2020, but 98% higher than their combined growth between 2015 and 2019.

The national security risk has alarmed members of Congress and state legislatures.

China-Taiwan Conflict Brewing on American Soil?