Report: China Expands Spy Sites in Cuba

China reportedly could be using an increased number of electronic surveillance stations in Cuba to spy on the U.S.

With Cuba less than 100 miles from Florida, four active sites could allow China to conduct electronic eavesdropping operations, according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report.

Military bases and testing sites, not to mention space launch centers, are located in the southeast region of the U.S.

The Cuban sites also provide a highly strategic vantage point near Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, a key U.S. military base in the region.

"These four sites are among the most likely locations supporting China's efforts to spy on the United States," CSIS said.

The sites also "could also bolster China’s use of telecommunications networks to spy on U.S. citizens," said Leland Lazarus, an expert on China-Latin America relations at Florida International University, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In its 2024 annual threat assessment, the U.S. intelligence community said China is pursuing military facilities in Cuba, without providing details.

The sites mentions are located near Bejucal, in the hills overlooking the capital city of Havana; El Salao, under construction just east of the city of Santiago de Cuba; Wajay, about 6 miles north of Bejucal; and Calabazar, not far from Bejucal and Wajay.

They all have the ability for signals intelligence (SIGINT), which can Intercept signals transmitted by both civilian and military actors.

"Collecting SIGINT is a complex task that requires specialized equipment, namely antennas, optimized for the signal characteristics of their targets," CSIS said.

The CSIS report said the Bejucal and Calabazar sites contain large dish antennas that appear designed to monitor and communicate with satellites, and could be useful for China's space program.

The report added China historically has lacked access to ground stations in North America, and accessing Cuban installations could help close that gap.

The Journal last year reported China and Cuba were negotiating closer defense and intelligence ties, and reached a secret agreement for Beijing to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated its largest overseas site for electronic spying at Lourdes, just outside Havana, the Journal added.