Like a page out of the Cold War, China is reportedly building a military spy base in Cuba in conjunction with the Cuban government not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, according to newly published satellite images by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, construction of the base is “designed to hold a large formation of antennas known as a circularly disposed antenna array, which can be used to find and intercept electronic signals.”
The base will likely have the ability to spy on the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay even though the Chinese are using older technology that the U.S. and Russia quit using long ago, the report said.
Here is a look at some of the satellite footage of the base.
Is China Building a New Spy Base in Cuba? Here’s What a New Report Found https://t.co/6JwGj47FUq
— Military.com (@Militarydotcom) July 2, 2024
The spy base at El Salao is the fourth such base on the island, the report said. The other bases are located at Bejucal, Wajay, and Calabazar.
Intelligence officials say that the bases present a serious national security threat to the U.S. because China is using Cuba’s close proximity to the U.S. to intercept sensitive electronic communications from U.S. military bases, space facilities, military and commercial shipping as well as spy on American citizens.
The news comes as China is aggressively expanding its geographic presence and influence in Latin American and the Caribbean.
China is building a megaport in Peru that U.S. officials worry could tip the balance of power in the region and subject Latin nations to economic coercion from the Chinese. China is also aggressively seeking to expand its influence and control in Argentina, Honduras, Colombia, and Brazil through various projects.
China is also moving to take over the paradise island of Antigua which is only a couple hundred miles away from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to a report from Newsweek, China is constructing a Chinese-run special economic zone on the island that “will have its own customs and immigration formalities, a shipping port and a dedicated airline and will be able to issue passports.” The report also said “It will establish businesses offering everything from logistics to cryptocurrencies, facial surgery to ‘virology.’”