The United States has confirmed that China had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019. The revelation has raised concerns about China’s increasingly aggressive attempts to expand its global intelligence network and exert its influence in the Western Hemisphere.
According to a report by The New York Times, Chinese intelligence officers have been operating out of a secret facility near Havana’s airport. The base is part of China’s efforts to gather information on US intelligence activities and regional military operations.
The US government has been aware of the base’s existence for several months and has closely monitored its activities. However, the recent confirmation has prompted officials to take a more aggressive stance toward China’s expanding intelligence network.
The revelation comes when the US grapples with China’s growing economic and military influence in the region. China has invested heavily in Latin America and the Caribbean, funding infrastructure projects and providing loans to countries in the area.
Given its long-standing political tensions with the island nation, China’s growing presence in Cuba is also a cause for concern for the US. The US has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba since the 1960s and has accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses and supporting terrorism.
Confirming China’s spy base in Cuba will likely further strain the fragile relationship between the US and China. It will also likely prompt the US to take a more aggressive stance towards China’s expanding global influence, particularly in the Western Hemisphere.
