In 2023, the news of Beijing’s arrival on the island of Cuba, located just 160 kilometers south of the US coast, caused a huge storm. The choice of the eastern superpower is no coincidence: this Caribbean country has long had a very cold relationship with Washington, and its location allows easy access to the entire region from here. Taking advantage of this advantage, Beijing has built surveillance systems in Cuba that allow it to monitor a large part of the United States.
America is particularly concerned about the spread of Chinese spy stations on the island, where rivals could also monitor military activity from the island.
In addition, the southern states are full of particularly sensitive bases where most covert activities take place.
The CSIS report, based on satellite imagery and open-source information, revealed four bases that China could use to monitor the United States. Beijing is suspected of installing SIGINT, or electronic intelligence, which requires the placement of multiple antennas. Some types communicate with dish antennas (CDAA), which can be easily identified from the air. However, the effectiveness of the entire system is greatly affected by geographic location. Cuba is ideal for SIGINT installation.
The sites mentioned are:
- Bejocal: This is the most active station. Close to the capital, it became famous in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In recent years, major modernization work has been carried out in the area.
- El Salao: The site, located in the immediate vicinity of the US Guantanamo Bay, could clearly be used to monitor nearby US military activity. Here The CDAA will be massive in size, and will be able to collect information from a long distance.
- Jay: A military base that has been gradually expanding over the past 20 years, and includes 12 antennas of varying sizes. It is suspected that China has built a complex capable of receiving ground signals here.
- Kalabazar: It hasn't been expanded for some time, but records suggest that China is also conducting espionage activities here.
Through the SIGINT system operating in Cuba, the Eastern superpower can obtain an accurate picture of events, developments and tests taking place in the southern part of the United States. Beijing can obtain sensitive data on industries of strategic importance such as space research, electronics or even biotechnology. One Chinese appearance It is also beneficial for Cuba, as the crisis-stricken government will benefit from the investments, in exchange for being allowed to use the appropriate intelligence infrastructure. If the suspicions are confirmed, it would seriously affect the United States, even if China is not believed to be planning to establish a military base in the military state.
Cover image credit: UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
