{"id":2291729,"date":"2024-07-10T08:16:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T12:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-spying-facilities-in-cuba-signal-americas-new-cold-war\/"},"modified":"2024-07-10T08:27:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T12:27:07","slug":"chinese-spying-facilities-in-cuba-signal-americas-new-cold-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-spying-facilities-in-cuba-signal-americas-new-cold-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Spying Facilities In Cuba Signal America&#8217;s New Cold War"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchinese-spying-facilities-in-cuba-signal-americas-new-cold-war%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2291729&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A new report by an American \u2064think tank confirms \u2064that China\u2062 has likely upgraded and expanded its spying \u200dfacilities in Cuba, raising concerns about China bringing its intelligence gathering efforts closer\u2064 to America.\u2063 The report reveals that China secretly agreed to pay Cuba billions of dollars to establish electronic\u200c eavesdropping \u2063facilities on the island \u2063for intercepting communications and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/news-corp-suspects-china-behind-cyberattack-on-its-journalists-company-data\/\" title=\"News Corp Suspects China Behind Cyberattack on Its Journalists, Company Data\">gathering intelligence<\/a> on the U.S. and its allies. \u200cDespite initial denials from the White House, a U.S. official later confirmed the existence of a Chinese spy \u200bbase in Cuba.\u2063 The report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) \u2064identifies four \u2062upgraded and expanded electronic spying stations in Cuba, likely funded and built by Beijing. The facilities\u2063 enhance China&#8217;s ability to spy on the U.S.&#8217; military activities and potentially intercept data from satellites passing over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pompeo-bidens-weakness-on-spy-balloon-assures-chinese-aggression\/\" title=\"Pompeo: Biden\u2019s Weakness on Spy Balloon Assures Chinese Aggression\">sensitive military sites<\/a>. Additionally, China may be using these facilities to obtain valuable business intelligence and signal deterrence to the U.S. Andrew Harding from the Heritage Foundation believes \u200cthat the China-backed spying \u200dfacilities in Cuba may not lead to another Cuban Missile \u2064Crisis, but decisive\u2064 action may be necessary to address the implications of China&#8217;s increased intelligence gathering efforts in the\u200d region.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>China has likely upgraded and expanded its spying facilities in Cuba, according to a new <a href=\"https:\/\/features.csis.org\/hiddenreach\/china-cuba-spy-sigint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> by an American think tank. The report not only confirms that a Cold War between China and the U.S. has already started, but also raises new concerns that China may be aiming to bring it to America\u2019s doorstep, posing potentially severe and grave implications for the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, produced the study as a follow-up to The Wall Street Journal\u2019s reporting last year that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/cuba-to-host-secret-chinese-spy-base-focusing-on-u-s-b2fed0e0?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revealed<\/a> China had secretly agreed to pay cash-strapped Cuba several billion dollars to establish a Chinese electronic eavesdropping facility on the island. This facility is likely to be used for intercepting communications and gathering intelligence on the United States and its allies, according to CSIS.<\/p>\n<p>Probably not wanting the news to disrupt the Biden administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/08\/chinas-amped-up-aggression-shows-bidens-detente-approach-wont-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">d\u00e9tente approach<\/a> to Beijing, the White House initially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/white-house-says-china-has-had-cuba-spy-base-since-at-least-2019-42145596?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">insisted<\/a> that the Journal\u2019s report was inaccurate. Yet, two days later, a U.S. official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/white-house-says-china-has-had-cuba-spy-base-since-at-least-2019-42145596?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confirmed<\/a> that China had a\u00a0spy base in Cuba since at least 2019. The Biden administration then claimed that it had taken steps to \u201cslow down Beijing\u2019s efforts to expand its intelligence gathering\u201d without elaborating on those steps. <\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration\u2019s vague explanation only inspired more research on the topic. CSIS examined years\u2019 worth of satellite images and released its <a href=\"https:\/\/features.csis.org\/hiddenreach\/china-cuba-spy-sigint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">findings<\/a> last week. CSIS finds that, contrary to what the Biden administration has told us, China has probably sped up, not slowed down, its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/intelligence-community-shows-little-confidence-in-claims-russia-paid-bounties-to-taliban-to-attack-u-s-troops\/\" title=\"Intelligence community shows little confidence in claims Russia paid bounties to Taliban to attack U.S. troops\">intelligence-gathering effort<\/a> in Cuba.<\/p>\n<h2>Four Spy Stations<\/h2>\n<p>CSIS\u2019s investigation identified four electronic spying stations in Cuba that have been upgraded and expanded: Bejucal, Calabazar, Wajay, and the previously unknown El Salao. For example, by comparing satellite images, CSIS noticed the site at Wajay \u201chas gradually expanded over the past 20 years, growing from just one antenna and several small buildings in 2002 to a robust complex today. It now hosts 12 antennas of various sizes and orientations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The site near El Salao is the newest one and has been under construction since 2021. The site is not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo.\u00a0CSIS says that once the site becomes operational, it will probably house multiple circularly disposed antenna arrays (CDAAs), which \u201care highly effective at determining the origin and direction of incoming high-frequency signals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. and the Soviet Union relied on CDAAs to monitor each other\u2019s air and maritime operations during the Cold War. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia and the U.S. either abandoned or decommissioned most of the CDAAs.<\/p>\n<h2>Strategic Motivation<\/h2>\n<p>Since the spying stations in Cuba have been shrouded in secrecy, CSIS can only suspect, but with a high degree of confidence, that they were funded and built by Beijing. CSIS notes that China has been actively building new CDAAs worldwide as part of its effort to create a global intelligence-gathering network. Meanwhile, Cuba is experiencing one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/cuba-announces-measures-war-time-130811250.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">worst economic crises<\/a> in decades. It lacks the resources to finance and develop such sophisticated spying facilities. China has resources, expertise, and, most importantly, a solid strategic motivation.  <\/p>\n<p>Historically, China lacked military and intelligence access to the Caribbean. However, it has strategically leveraged Cuba\u2019s economic woes to mitigate this gap and significantly expand Beijing\u2019s influence and foothold on the island. In addition to providing Havana with substantial aid and loans, China\u2019s tech giants Huawei and ZTE, both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/media-telecom\/us-fcc-bans-equipment-sales-imports-zte-huawei-over-national-security-risk-2022-11-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blacklisted<\/a> by the U.S. government over espionage risks, now form the backbone of Cuba\u2019s telecommunications infrastructure, as reported by CSIS. This development raises potential security risks in the region.<\/p>\n<h2>High-Level Exchange<\/h2>\n<p>CSIS also notes the occurrence of regular, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blinkens-beijing-trip-accomplished-nothing-but-u-s-humiliation\/\" title=\"Blinken&#039;s Beijing visit yielded no results, only humiliating the U.S.\">high-level exchanges<\/a> between China\u2019s People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA) and Cuba\u2019s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). This military cooperation was highlighted in 2015 when a Chinese ship bound for Cuba was detained by Colombia for trafficking weapons. Despite this, China\u2019s foreign ministry spokesman maintained that no international law was breached, as the firearms were part of what was<strong> <\/strong>described as<strong> <\/strong>\u201ccompletely normal military trade co-operation\u201d between Beijing and Havana. The depth of this cooperation was further demonstrated in April this year when the FAR\u2019s most senior leader <a href=\"http:\/\/eng.chinamil.com.cn\/CMC\/News_209224\/16304139.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visited the<\/a> PLA leadership in China.  <\/p>\n<p>With Cuba\u2019s proximity to the United States, it\u2019s a prime location for Beijing to establish these spying facilities. CSIS suggests that even if China doesn\u2019t have direct access to these facilities, the data collected by Cuban counterparts could be easily shared with Beijing. These facilities significantly enhance China\u2019s ability to spy on the U.S. military and its allies\u2019 activities, including military exercises, missile tests, rocket launches, and submarine maneuvers. They also enable China to monitor radio traffic and potentially intercept data from U.S. satellites as they pass over highly sensitive military sites in the southern United States, thereby expanding their surveillance capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to collecting military intelligence, these stations allow China to intercept commercial communications and obtain valuable business intelligence in sectors strategically crucial to Beijing, such as aerospace and biotech.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, China may be using these spy facilities as a tool of deterrence, in addition to intelligence gathering. Beijing is likely signaling to Washington that China could cause a lot of trouble at America\u2019s doorstep should the U.S. decide to defend Taiwan militarily.<\/p>\n<h2>Decisive Action<\/h2>\n<p>Andrew Harding of the Heritage Foundation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/asia\/commentary\/chinas-plans-latin-america-go-beyond-spying-cuba\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doesn\u2019t think<\/a> these China-backed spying facilities in Cuba will lead to another 1962-style <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-real-lessons-of-the-cuban-missile-crisis-11617985606?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cuban Missile Crisis<\/a>. That crisis was triggered by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev\u2019s decision to deploy medium-range nuclear missiles and more than 40,000 Soviet troops to Cuba, bringing the U.S. and the Soviet Union dangerously close to a nuclear war. The crisis was only avoided after President John F. Kennedy took decisive action, including authorizing the U.S. Navy to impose a blockade around Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>Harding sees China-backed spying facilities in Cuba as a sign that the U.S. and China are in a\u00a0new Cold War, and he urges the Biden administration to \u201cstart acting like it.\u201d Unfortunately, the fact that these facilities continue to be expanded and upgraded under our noses shows that the Biden administration has failed to take China\u2019s threat to our national security seriously.  <\/p>\n<p>Compounding the issue, Chinese leaders may have drawn a troubling conclusion from the recent presidential debate. They may believe that an America led by a frail leader who at times struggles to articulate his thoughts is a weakened America ripe for exploitation. This perception of weakness could provoke China and other adversaries to act aggressively. The coming months until the election are critical for America\u2019s security.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>      Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She&#8217;s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News.  Helen is the author of several books, including &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Confucius-Never-Said-Helen-Raleigh\/dp\/1499185278\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&#038;keywords=Helen+Raleigh+Confucius+Never+Said&#038;qid=1606079469&#038;sr=8-1\">Confucius Never Said<\/a>&#8221; and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Backlash-How-Chinas-Aggression-Backfired\/dp\/1736008501\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&#038;qid=1606006113&#038;sr=8-1\">Backlash: How Communist China&#8217;s Aggression Has Backfired<\/a>.&#8221; Her latest book is the 2nd edition of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Broken-Welcome-Mat-unAmerican-immigration-ebook\/dp\/B0C44QSPJ9\/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3HFXEVT236ZRW&#038;keywords=The+Broken+welcome+mat+book&#038;qid=1683127487&#038;sprefix=the+broken+welcome+mat+book%2Caps%2C135&#038;sr=8-3\">\u201cThe Broken Welcome Mat: America\u2019s UnAmerican immigration policy, and how we should fix it.\u201d<\/a>   Follow her on Parler and Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent report by an American think tank suggests that China has likely upgraded and expanded its spying facilities in Cuba, indicating the start of a Cold War between China and the U.S. The report raises concerns that China may be aiming to bring this conflict to America&#8217;s doorstep, posing potential threats to U.S. national security. The study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) follows previous reports that China had established a secret electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba. Despite initial denials by the White House, it was later confirmed that China had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019. CSIS&#8217;s investigation identified four electronic spying stations in Cuba that have been upgraded and expanded, likely funded and built by Beijing. These facilities enhance China&#8217;s ability to spy on the U.S. military and its allies, monitor commercial communications, and potentially intercept data from U.S. satellites. The Biden administration&#8217;s response to this threat has been criticized for not taking China&#8217;s actions seriously. The situation is seen as a sign of a new Cold War between the U.S. and China, urging the Biden administration to take decisive action to protect national security<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":536,"featured_media":2291730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/14954756993_c7bdf94a9e_k-e1720463710901.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5374,34489,34490,13954,23344],"class_list":["post-2291729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-america","tag-chinese-espionage","tag-cold-war","tag-cuba","tag-national-security"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/14954756993_c7bdf94a9e_k-e1720463710901.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2291729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/536"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2291729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2291729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2291730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2291729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2291729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2291729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}