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China wants to put a spy base in Cuba, according to multiple reports citing officials with knowledge of sensitive intelligence. It's a move that would follow in the footsteps of the Soviet Union, which operated a spy base on the island for decades. But the Department of Defense and White House have pushed back on the reports.
Two senior U.S. officials told Politico that Beijing is in talks with Havana to establish a base roughly 100 miles off the coast of Florida, potentially to collect signals intelligence in the southeastern United States, home to a number of military installations. Florida is home to Central Command and the missile and rocket ranges at Cape Canaveral, for example.
Negotiations may have actually gone beyond just talks. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that China and Cuba have reached a multi-billion-dollar agreement in principle on the establishment of the base. Officials say the intelligence on the matter, which only recently came to light, is convincing. Both CNN and The New York Times also reported on the agreement and planned facility.
Senior U.S. military officials and lawmakers have often raised concerns about the potential US national security implications for Chinese engagement with other countries in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in parts of Latin America but other areas as well.
Looking at China's deals and investments through a…
