A Biden administration official claims that China has spied on the United States from Cuba for years.
The admission came days after the Biden administration refuted a Wall Street Journal report that China and Cuba had agreed to install an electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba, deeming the report inaccurate.
China Builds Spy Base in Cuba, US Confirms
Since at least 2019, the Biden administration has conveyed "concerns" to the Cuban government regarding the presence of a Chinese espionage operation on the island, according to national security council spokesperson John Kirby.
The White House stated over the weekend that China has maintained a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, contradicting a Wall Street Journal report that such a facility was in the planning stages.
According to The Hill, Kirby acknowledged that relations between Washington and Beijing are "sensitive" and stated that the US has taken measures to "mitigate" the threat posed by Chinese espionage.
However, President Joe Biden is determined to strengthen lines of communication with Beijing, Kirby continued, in particular, to persuade Chinese officials to establish direct military-to-military channels, which the US deems essential for conflict management.
As part of the administration's outreach efforts to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Secretary of State Antony Blinken is reportedly planning to visit Beijing on June 18.
William Burns, the director of the CIA, met with Chinese officials in Beijing last month to stress the significance of maintaining open intelligence communication channels between the United States and China.
The Chinese government was evaluating locations around the globe, according to the official, and it enhanced its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019, which was "well documented in the intelligence record," according to the official.
Blinken Hails US' Efforts
As to why the White House, Pentagon, and others vehemently denied the Journal's reporting despite knowing that China has been spying from Cuba for years, the official stated that the story was inaccurate because it stated that the surveillance was a recent occurrence.
Additionally, Cuban officials denied the Journal's allegation, stating that they oppose any foreign military presence in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on Friday that he was "unaware" of any Chinese espionage facility in Cuba and accused the United States of duplicity.
"The United States is the global champion of espionage and the surveillance superpower," he said at a routine briefing in Beijing.
Saturday morning's edition of NBC News posed the question of whether the Biden administration has intentionally downplayed China's provocative actions while attempting to coordinate high-level diplomatic discussions between the two countries.
Early in his administration, President Joe Biden directed officials to address Chinese espionage from Cuba, and their efforts "have slowed the PRC down," a senior administration official said, using an abbreviation for China's formal name, the People's Republic of China.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to a reported Chinese spy operation based in Cuba by stating that it was part of a larger effort by Beijing that the United States has attempted to thwart.
The statement was released on Monday, days after a US official verified that China has operated a Cuba-based intelligence operation for years and upgraded it in 2019.
The administration of US President Joe Biden was briefed on these developments upon assuming office. Per Aljazeera, Blinken stated that Beijing's objective was to "project and sustain military power at a greater distance."
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