Politico quoted an official in the administration of US President Joe Biden as saying that China is spying on the United States from a base in Cuba, and that this base was established before the Biden administration took office.

The official added that China's espionage efforts are an ongoing concern, and that the U.S. administration is taking steps to deal with them. He stressed that China will seek to strengthen its presence in Cuba, but Washington will continue to work to disrupt it.

However, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby earlier denied the veracity of the report on the issue, and in a statement to MSNBC, Kirby said, "I have seen that report. It's not accurate."

"What I can say is that we have been concerned from day one under this administration about Chinese influence activities around the world, certainly in this hemisphere, in this region," he said. "We are watching this closely."

The Wall Street Journal reported that China and Cuba had reached a secret agreement to build an electronic eavesdropping facility on the Caribbean island.

The eavesdropping facility in Cuba, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Florida, will allow Chinese intelligence services to obtain electronic communications throughout the southeastern United States, where many military bases are located, as well as monitor the movement of U.S. ships.

The newspaper quoted officials as insiders that China agreed to pay cash-strapped Cuba several billion dollars to allow it to build the eavesdropping station, and that the two countries had reached an agreement in principle.

China using secret base in Cuba to spy on U.S., Biden admin official confirms https://t.co/AGBCt36e6S

— POLITICO (@politico) June 10, 2023

American, Cuban and Chinese exiles

Pentagon spokesman Pat Riley called the Wall Street Journal report inaccurate.

"We are not aware of China and Cuba building any spy station of any kind," he said, adding that "the relations that these two countries have are something that we are constantly monitoring."

Havana also denied the matter, as Carlos Fernandez de Cosio, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister, said in a statement read to the press on Thursday that the Wall Street Journal published on the eighth of June a completely false and unfounded information that there is an agreement between Cuba and China in the military field to establish a supposed espionage base.

Cuba rejects any foreign military presence in Latin America, including the many military bases and troops (of the United States), he said, adding that "slanders of this kind are often fabricated by American officials."

Piracy Empire

China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that "spreading rumours and slander" was a well-known tactic from the United States, which it described as a "hacking empire".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: "As we all know, spreading rumors and slander is a well-known method of the United States."

"The United States is also the most powerful hacking empire in the world and also a major country in surveillance and monitoring," he said.