They were all quick to deny. Neither China, Cuba nor the United States are aware of any knowledge of a "secret espionage base" that Beijing is about to build in Cuba.

The Wall Street Journal had claimed the opposite in an article published Thursday, June 8, citing "U.S. officials who have knowledge of highly classified documents."

According to the daily, China and Cuba have reached an agreement in principle to pay "billions of dollars" to Havana in order to have the right to install a listening station on the island.

China-Cuba, same fight?

This facility would be capable of intercepting communications of all kinds such as phone calls, emails or satellite data transmissions, says the Wall Street Journal.

"If this information were to be confirmed, it would be an important pavement in the American security pond, because the station would be just 100 kilometers from Florida and could spy on the entire southern United States where a large number of military installations are located," said Anurag Mishra, a specialist in U.S. international relations at the International Team for the Study of Security (ITSS) Verona.

U.S. lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee also find the prospect of such a facility on the doorstep of the United States chilling. "We are deeply troubled by reports that Havana and Beijing are collaborating to target the United States and our people," the committee officials said in a joint statement.

This Sino-Cuban project, although unconfirmed, is in line with things, according to experts interviewed by France 24. "Relations between Cuba and the United States are currently very deteriorated, especially since Washington decided to include Cuba again [on January 12, 2021, Editor's note] on the list of states that support terrorism. A hostility that China will surely seek to take advantage of," said Ho Ting Bosco Hung, an expert on Chinese security issues at the STBBI. An opportunity all the easier to seize for Beijing "as the two regimes are ideologically close," says Anurag Mishra.

Geopolitical and economic issues

China has every interest in building a "spy station" in Cuba. First, for geopolitical reasons. "Setting foot first on the American mainland is very important, because whatever conflict or standoff China is likely to be involved in – in Taiwan, or in the South China Sea – there is always a risk of US intervention. It is therefore vital for Beijing to learn as much as possible about the military capabilities of the United States," Ho Ting Bosco Hung said. For him, a listening base would allow the Chinese regime to obtain the necessary information to "know what risk will be the price to pay if Beijing decides to start a war".

Having big ears in Cuba can also bring an economic advantage. "In China, the state and large groups work in good intelligence and if this listening station can spy on Texas or Florida companies, the information will certainly be of interest to their Chinese competitors," says Anurag Mishra.

Beijing may also believe that it is time to acquire the same weapons as the United States in the war of spies. "There is no doubt that if this project really exists, the Chinese will justify it by pointing out that Washington has an intelligence agreement with Taiwan, which is to say that the United States also has allied listening posts in the immediate vicinity of China," said Rosemary Foot, an expert on China-U.S. relations at St. Antony's College, Oxford. Beijing is signaling to its American rival that it "believes it can play in the same court," adds Anurag Mishra.

The Wall Street Journal's "revelations" also do Cuba's business. "The Cuban issue was not on the agenda of U.S. President Joe Biden," Mishra said. The hypothesis of collaboration between Beijing and Havana in the field of intelligence is a reminder of the danger for the White House to abandon the Cuban file.

Before Blinken's trip to China

Even if the rumors around this listening station were to prove unfounded, they will leave traces. "The United States will feel compelled to pay more attention to communications within range of a Chinese listening post in Cuba, just in case," Mishra said.

"The timing of this information is also very intriguing," notes Rosemary Foot specialist. The last time Chinese espionage activities held the top of the media pavement was on the occasion of the so-called "spy" balloon affair, in February 2023. At the time, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken decided to cancel a visit to China in protest at what was perceived as an aggressive act by Beijing.

It turns out that this previous trip had been rescheduled for the end of June. In other words: "we can wonder if these rumors are not aimed at sabotaging this move," says Rosemary Foot. The Wall Street Journal article will, in any case, "feed anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States, which will complicate all initiatives to improve China-US relations," said Ho Ting Bosco Hung.

Finally, whether this information is founded or not, it will force Washington to react. And sometimes it's harder to find the right way to fight windmills than real threats.

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