Washington, 9 June, 2023 (GNP): The White House denied the claim that the Chinese government struck a deal with Cuba to establish a spy base on the island that would target US military installations and communications.
“I’ve seen that press report. It’s not accurate,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby claimed during an interview.
However, Kirby didn’t go into detail about which part or parts of the report were incorrect.
Earlier on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal claimed that China and Cuba had secretly agreed to create a spy base on the island.
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According to the report, the arrangement would enable Chinese intelligence services to track ship activity and spy on electronic communications throughout the southeast United States, which is home to many military bases.
The report was also rejected by Cuba’s foreign affairs ministry, which said in a statement that it was “fabricated by US officials.”
According to the report’s citation of US officials familiar with the situation, China agreed to pay several billion dollars to Cuba for the facility.
The disclosures come just a few days after the White House issued a warning about China’s armed forces becoming more assertive after they engaged in risky maneuvers off its coast.
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While high-level negotiation has resumed, military tensions between the two largest economies in the world have risen recently.
Last week, the US requested a meeting between the defense ministers of the two nations, but China denied it.
According to a report from the sources earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Beijing in the upcoming weeks for meetings with high-ranking officials, possibly including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
