US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has addressed an alleged Chinese spying operation based in Cuba, claiming it is a half of a broader effort by Beijing to expand its abroad logistics and intelligence infrastructure. This comes after a US official confirmed that China has been operating an intelligence unit in Cuba for years, which was upgraded in 2019.
Blinken said that Beijing’s goal was to “project and sustain military power at a larger distance.” Key had been briefed on these developments upon taking office. However, last Friday, White House National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby refuted a Wall Street Journal report claiming that Cuba and China had reached a preliminary agreement to assemble a spy base on the island nation in exchange for several billion US dollars. Kirby stated the report was “not accurate” without offering further details.
A US official later clarified that whereas Beijing had indeed operated intelligence collection facilities on the island, “this is an ongoing issue and never a new improvement.” Kirby maintained that the framing of the unique report was “inaccurate,” but couldn’t provide additional context because of the info not being declassified.
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio dismissed the report as “slanderous speculation” on Twitter, while China’s foreign ministry spokesperson accused the US of “spreading rumours and slander.”
Blinken didn’t reference the Wall Street Journal report or its content during his assertion. Instead, he centered on the spying issue as a long-term concern, implying that the response by the Trump administration had been inadequate. Blinken said that the Biden administration’s technique to counter China’s spying begins with diplomacy, partaking governments considering internet hosting Chinese bases and exchanging info with them.
“Our consultants assess our diplomatic efforts have slowed down this effort by the PRC, it’s one thing that we’re very carefully monitoring,” Blinken added..