Cuba denies WSJ report on Chinese spy base on the island

Cuba’s deputy Foreign minister, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, said in a statement the report was a lie made up by US officials to destabilize the country and worsen the decades-old economic and commercial blockade.

“We reject any foreign military presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, including many bases and military forces of the US,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, "We are not aware of the case and as a result, we can't give a comment right now."

The alleged spy installation would allow Beijing to gather electronic communications from the southeastern US, which houses many US military bases, as well as monitor ship traffic, the newspaper reported, citing US officials familiar with classified intelligence.

The countries have reached an agreement in principle, the officials said, with China to pay Cuba "several billion dollars" to allow the eavesdropping station, according to the Journal.

Ties between the US and China have deteriorated over disputes ranging from military activity in the South China Sea and near Taiwan, Beijing's human rights record, and technology competition.

Pentagon dismisses WSJ report on China spy station in Cuba

The Pentagon on Thursday also dismissed a report in the Wall Street Journal about Chinese plans to set up an electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba, saying it was not aware of any such effort and characterizing the report as "inaccurate."

"I can tell you based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate, that we are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station," said Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder.

"In terms of that particular report, no, it's not accurate."

Alleged China spy facility in Cuba 'would change the rules of the game' - analyst

Analyst Jaganath Sankaran, an assistant professor in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, told Reuters n Thursday that if built, the alleged facility "would change the rules of the game."

Sankaran, whose research focuses on the growing military and nuclear weapons capabilities of China, said for a long time the US has been "unilaterally" capable of spying on China so "this facility shifts that."

According to Sankaran, such a facility would even allow China to pick up on electronic intelligence and crucial military information.

"How do our ships operate? What frequency do the rest of the ships operate on? Those are all real useful information against an adversary to have", he said.

Asked about what's in it for Cuba, Sankaran said that if the alleged facility is built, it won't necessarily mean security guarantees for the island "in any big sense."

"I think the big answer is the money the Chinese are paying. I don't think it's a security relationship," Sankaran added.

According to the Journal, the countries have reached an agreement in principle, the officials said, with China to pay Cuba "several billion dollars" to allow the eavesdropping station.

A cash infusion would likely be welcomed in Cuba, where the economy is sputtering and inflation, fuel shortages, plunging farm production and a cash crunch continue to fan discontent.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told Reuters they are aware of the report but "it's not accurate." Kirby did not specify what he thought was incorrect.

He said the United States has had "real concerns" about China’s relationship with Cuba and was closely monitoring it.

The agreement between the two US rivals, both ruled by communist governments, has caused alarm in President Joe Biden's administration, the newspaper said, posing a new threat close to America's shores.

The Journal said U.S. officials declined to provide more details about the proposed location of the listening station or whether construction had begun.

The reported deal comes as Washington and Beijing are taking tentative steps to soothe tensions that spiked after a suspected Chinese high-altitude spy balloon crossed the United States before the US military shot it down off the East Coast in February.

It could also raise questions about a trip to China that US officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning in the coming weeks. Washington's top diplomat had earlier scrapped the visit over the spy balloon incident.

Ties have deteriorated over disputes ranging from military activity in the South China Sea and near Taiwan, Beijing's human rights record, and technology competition.

Some US lawmakers have signalled alarm regarding the alleged spying facility and have urged the Biden administration to take steps to prevent it.

The US has a long history of spying on China in its own neighbourhood. It is widely reported to have used Taiwan as a listening post for the mainland and regularly flies spy planes in the South China Sea, angering Beijing.

Relations between Washington and Havana remain strained. The Biden administration last year partially rolled back some Trump-era restrictions on remittances and travel to the island, but Cuban officials called the steps insufficient.

The intelligence on the agreement was gathered in recent weeks and was convincing, the Journal reported. The officials said it would allow China to conduct signals intelligence, including emails, phone calls and satellite transmission.

Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games.

The Cuban missile crisis in 1962 began after Moscow began placing Soviet nuclear weapons on the island. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

The Soviets installed a spy base on the island at Lourdes, just south of Havana, in the mid-1960s, with parabolic antennas aimed at Cuba's northern neighbour. Russian President Vladimir Putin closed the facility in the early 2000s.

"Can they have an air base there? That might be the red line. I mean, is this the beginning of the process or is this the end?", Professor Sankaran said.

Reuters