Washington CNN —China has been operating military and intelligence facilities in Cuba since at least 2019 and is continuing to expand its intelligence gathering capabilities around the world, a Biden administration official and two other sources told CNN Saturday.
The administration official said China “conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019” under the Trump administration and described the challenge as “inherited.”“This is well-documented in the intelligence record,” the official said.
CUBA, HAVANA - AUGUST 02 : Aerial view of the city of Havana on August 02, 2017 in Havana, Cuba.
Former US Ambassador to China Max Baucus said Saturday he was “surprised” the Biden administration initially denied reporting that China has operated intelligence and military facilities in Cuba and acknowledged China has long had a “presence” in Cuba.
The Chinese military and intelligence sites monitor maritime traffic, the US Guantanamo naval base and communications, the source familiar with the intelligence said.
Persons:
China “, Trump, “, ”, John Kirby, Frédéric Soltan, Frédéric, Bill Burns, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, China Max Baucus, Biden, Baucus, Obama
Organizations:
Washington CNN, Biden, CNN, White House, Wall Street, National Security Council, South China, Getty, Corbis, CIA, Defense, Guantanamo
Locations:
China, Cuba, ”, South, CUBA, HAVANA, Havana, Havana , Cuba, Beijing, People’s Republic of China