Pentagon denies reports China may build listening post in Cuba

The Defense Department is denying reports that China has reached a deal with Cuba to build an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island nation.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder called a Wall Street Journal report on the apparent deal “inaccurate” during a briefing Thursday.

“Certainly we know that China and Cuba maintain a relationship of sorts, but when it comes to the specific activities outlines in the press reporting, based on the information we have, that is not accurate,” Ryder said. “We are not aware of China and Cuba developing any type of spy station.”

The Wall Street Journal report cited U.S. officials familiar with the matter and claimed that China would pay several billion dollars to build the facility on Cuba, which is roughly 100 miles from the coast of Florida.

CNN also reported Thursday that Cuba has agreed to allow China to build a spying facility.

Cuba denies Journal story about Chinese spy base

If China were to build the facility, it would be the closest foreign adversary base to the U.S. mainland and allow Beijing to intercept emails, phone calls and satellite communications.

While the Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the country in February captivated the nation’s attention, a facility so close to the U.S. mainland would have significantly more espionage capabilities.

It’s unclear if Washington could stop any construction of a Chinese listening post if such a deal were ever reached, as U.S. relations with the communist regime of Cuba are poor.

China has only one overseas military base in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa.

Republicans, including 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley, took to social media after news of The Wall Street Journal report to slam the Biden administration for failing to stop Chinese aggression.

Ryder on Thursday called the reporting inaccurate several times but did not speak further on the details.

He also said the Pentagon was unaware of China attempting to build a similar facility anywhere else in the Central or South American region.

Separately, Ryder said the U.S. is continuing to monitor the relationship between China and Cuba.

“China’s activities both in our hemisphere and around the world,” he said, “are something that we will continue to watch closely.”

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