China is prepared to erect an electronic spy facility in Cuba, which will be just 100 miles from the Florida coast. The purpose of this facility will be to gather sensitive intel on the US military. The Wall Street Journal, in referencing officials with “highly classified intelligence,” said that China had come to an agreement with Cuba to establish the spy facility.
The report noted that with Havana being short on cash, Beijing had offered the small island country billions of dollars to install the facility. However, the agreement has only been made “in principle.” If the spy facility manifests, it would allow China the ability to spy on the southern US, which includes important military bases and ship traffic.
The Daily Mail reported that John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications for the National Security Council, pointed to the many instances that China has attempted to install infrastructure around the world that could be used for military purposes, “including in this hemisphere.”
Kirby 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.” The intelligence gathered about China making a deal with Cuba is “convincing,” according to anonymous US officials mentioned in the report.
With China widely considered by the US to be its primary rival, both militarily and economically, it is concerning the Biden administration that Beijing has decided to plant a facility so close to the US border. The facility, if it comes to fruition, would allow the Eastern power the ability to monitor US communications, such as emails, phone calls, and even satellite transmissions.
The exact location of the facility within Cuba is still unclear, and it is also unknown whether the US will be able to do anything about its construction.
This comes after it was revealed that China's intelligence agencies were actively investing in open-source intelligence that would given them the ability to gather crucial information on the US military, such as senstive information from the Pentagon, think tanks, and even private firms within US borders.
