Cuba and Communist China have reportedly agreed to create an electronic surveillance facility in the island country only 90 miles from the U.S. mainland, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.
The agreement, worth billions, will allow China to build a station that can collect communications in the southeast United States, which is home to several important military sites.
The Chinese surveillance facility may also be able to track the movement of American ships in the region.
Although the planned espionage station in Cuba has alarmed the Biden administration, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he was unable to comment explicitly on the worrisome claim.
According to officials, the Chinese station would enable Beijing to conduct SIGINT, or signal intelligence, monitoring of emails, phone conversations, and satellite broadcasts.
As ties between the two superpowers continue to worsen, there have been reports of a possible Chinese espionage operation targeting the United States from just beyond its borders.
Adding to the tensions has been the U.S. stance on Taiwan.
The United States has remained a firm backer of the country, supplying armaments and sending a limited number of troops to the island that China claims sovereignty over, despite the fact that China has allegedly increased tensions as it considers a strategy to annex Taiwan.
Later this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China to meet with Xi Jinping, the leader of the communist revolution.
According to sources contacted by the journal, Chinese officials believe that establishing a facility in Cuba would level the playing field since the United States has a presence in Taiwan, which is similarly close to China’s shore.
It remains unclear if and when the Biden administration will respond to the aggressive move.
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