Experts at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) claim that China is expanding facilities in Cuba allegedly designed to conduct electronic intelligence against the United States.
According to the CSIS report, three stations in northwestern Cuba and one in southeastern Cuba have been expanded in recent years. Experts believe China may have access to them.
“Without access to classified materials, pinpointing the specific targets of these assets is nearly impossible. Nonetheless, the growth of space-monitoring equipment at sites like Bejucal and Calabazar is notable given that Cuba lacks its own satellites or space program.”
According to CSIS analysts, Bejucal is the largest of the four sites and first gained notoriety during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when the base was used to store nuclear weapons for the Soviet Union. More recently, it has gained notoriety as a major radio intelligence monitoring station, presumably tracking China’s electronic communications.
In June 2023, The Wall Street Journal made an allegation that Cuba would have a Chinese facility that would allow it to wiretap and intercept electronic communications in the southeastern United States.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby claimed that the US administration was taking steps to reduce the effectiveness of China’s base in Cuba.
However, China’s Foreign Ministry denied information about spying against the US from Cuba.
Spy bases in Cuba
New satellite images also show that Bejucal has undergone significant upgrades, including a new electronic antenna housing. Two other sites near Havana, Wajay and Calabazar, are also showing growth.
CSIS analysts cite evidence of mission expansion and development, including the installation of antennas, radar dishes and other equipment that could help those who use it to observe satellites.
Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder stated on Tuesday:
We’re confident that we can continue to meet our security commitments. We know that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is going to continue to try to enhance its presence in Cuba, and we will continue to keep working to disrupt that.
However, on the same day, China rejected the findings of the CSIS report, with Liu Pengyu of the Chinese Embassy in Washington calling them “nothing but slander.”
“The US side has repeatedly hyped-up China’s establishment of spy bases or conducting surveillance activities in Cuba. (…) The US is no doubt the leading power in terms of eavesdropping and does not even spare its Allies.”
