Chinese spy facilities in Cuba are ‘serious concern’, says Blinken

US secretary of state Antony Blinken raised concerns with China about its alleged electronic spying facilities in Cuba during a two-day mission to Beijing aimed at stabilising turbulent relations between the powers.

In an interview with CBS television before departing Beijing, Blinken said he had discussed the subject of Chinese spying operations in Cuba in his meetings with top officials.

Asked if he had brought up the issue, he said: “I did. I’m not going to characterise their response, but I told them that this is a serious concern for us.”

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Beijing and Havana had reached a tentative deal for a new electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba, roughly 350km from Florida. The Biden administration initially disputed the report but later disclosed that China had been conducting electronic espionage from Cuba since at least 2019.

On Tuesday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said it was “no secret” China had been trying to improve its intelligence gathering capabilities in the western hemisphere, including a “relationship that they have had for quite some time with Cuba”.

The US has become increasingly concerned about Chinese espionage in recent years as China has expanded its operations overseas. Earlier this year, Sino-US relations took a big hit after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over North America for roughly a week and appeared to monitor sensitive military facilities along its route.

The administration did not comment on a separate Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday that China and Cuba are negotiating to open a joint training facility on the island. An administration official declined to comment on the specifics but said the US remained “concerned about China’s longstanding activities with Cuba”.

“China will keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba, and we will keep working to disrupt it. We remain confident that we are able to meet all our security commitments at home and in the region,” the official said.

Beijing has responded to US criticism by pointing out that American spy planes routinely fly in international waters close to the Chinese coast from where they conduct electronic surveillance on military facilities in China.

Blinken told CBS that the US had taken steps in recent years to push back against Chinese spying operations in Latin America.

“This is nothing new, but it is something of real concern. I was very clear about our concerns with China. But regardless of that, we’ve been going around to various places where we see this kind of activity, trying to put a stop to it.”

Blinken was speaking after two days of meetings in Beijing that included discussions with President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials, including foreign minister Qin Gang and China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

Following their meeting, Xi said the two countries had made progress towards stabilising relations, a sentiment echoed by President Joe Biden on Monday.

Blinken’s visit came four months after he was originally scheduled to travel to Beijing to following an agreement that Biden and Xi reached in Bali in November about the need to set a “floor” under the powers’ relationship. He cancelled his original trip after the emergence of the spy balloon.

Additional reporting by Felicia Schwartz

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