(PatriotsUnited.org) – China is constructing a military spy base in Cuba, alarmingly close to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Newly released satellite images reveal the base is being built in El Salao, a small town near Santiago de Cuba. This development began early in President Joe Biden’s administration and is designed to intercept electronic signals with a large formation of antennas known as a circularly disposed antenna array. As a fellow communist nation with historic tensions with the U.S., China has long had close ties with Cuba.
The base’s proximity to Guantanamo Bay enhances its capability to monitor U.S. communications, despite employing older technology that has been abandoned by the U.S. and Russia. This installation is the fourth of its kind in Cuba, with other bases located nearby in Bejucal, Wajay, and Calabazar. Intelligence officials have expressed significant concern over these developments. The bases enhance China’s ability to intercept sensitive electronic communications from U.S. military operations, space facilities, and commercial shipping, as well as potentially spy on American citizens. One intelligence insider told the press that Beijing was seeking to leverage Cuba’s location to “gain a strategic edge.”
China’s activities in the Americas region are part of its wider efforts to challenge U.S. dominance and position itself as the world’s leading superpower. One other notable project is China’s construction of a mega port in Peru, which U.S. officials fear could soon shift the regional balance of power and subject Latin American countries to Chinese economic coercion. China’s ventures extend across the continent, with significant investments and influence efforts in Argentina, Honduras, Colombia, and Brazil.
China is also ramping up its presence in Antigua, where it is set to launch a special economic zone that sits several hundred miles away from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The zone will have its own dedicated airline and port and will be able to grant passports. It is thought that logistics and cryptocurrency firms could use it as a base.
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