China has reportedly reached a secret agreement with Cuba to build a major new spy station on the island, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The facility would be used for electronic eavesdropping and would allow Chinese intelligence services to intercept electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where many military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship traffic. The report also noted that China has agreed to pay Cuba several billion dollars to build the eavesdropping station. If established as reported, this new Chinese facility would be China’s closest and most advantageous site for electronic eavesdropping on the United States.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated a massive signals-intelligence site at Lourdes in Cuba, which was less than 100 miles from the United States and gave the Soviets far better access to electronic communications in the United States than they could get anywhere else. Now, China is replacing Russia as Cuba’s banker, and Cuba is replaying its old Cold War role in the new Cold War with China.
This new Cuba-China deal reveals the symbolism of China replacing the USSR in spying on the United States from Cuba, highlighting the new Cold War we are in. The deal also shows how the Obama and Biden administrations have been foolish in their efforts to improve relations with Cuba, which has responded by pulling closer to China and cracking down on dissent. The political environment in Cuba is one of war, and the communist regime will now receive several billion dollars from China in payment for the SIGINT site.
