On December 6, “the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed more evidence of Chinese espionage activities from Cuba , including information on four sites that are believed to be driving China ‘s efforts to gather intelligence on the United States and its neighbors.”[1]
“The four bases identified as having the greatest potential to serve Chinese espionage are located in Bejucal, Mayabeque province; El Salao, in Santiago de Cuba; Wajay, in Havana; and Calabazar, also in the capital. . . . [A]ll four facilities have equipment capable of collecting signals intelligence (SIGINT), a clear physical security infrastructure (guard posts, perimeter fences, military insignia, etc.), and other features that point to intelligence-gathering activities.”
At one of the baes (Bejucal) may be the “”headquarters of the Cuban military intelligence radio-electronic brigade” with several antennas scattered on the grounds of the facility that “could allow the base to track satellites and intercept their downlink communications. In addition, they could potentially collect data on US rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This information would provide privileged access to data on flight paths and telemetry from two of the main sites where US satellites are launched into space.” could allow the base to track satellites and intercept their downlink communications . In addition, they could potentially collect data on US rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This information would provide privileged access to data on flight paths and telemetry from two of the main sites where US satellites are launched into space.”
At another base. El Salao, near the Santiago neighborhood of the same name, has a new SIGINT site that had not been previously reported [and] a large controlled directional array antenna (CDAA) has been under construction in the area since 2021, with a diameter of between 130 and 200 meters, capable of detecting signals between 3,000 and 8,000 nautical miles once operational.”
The Wajay base is now “a robust complex today, housing 12 antennas of various sizes and orientations, significant operations and support facilities, and even a small solar park that could serve during failures of Cuba’s disastrous electrical system.”
The Calabazar base [has] a new solar park, considerably larger than the one in Wajay. . . {and new] vertical and horizontal satellite dishes, which appear to be oriented mainly towards the south, possibly aimed at capturing transmissions from satellites in geostationary orbit over the equator.
The U.S. Center that published the report behind the Diario article said that in light of these developments“the United States and its regional partners should carefully monitor China’s growing role in Cuba, harden sensitive communications, and push for transparency to reduce the likelihood of miscalculation.” [2]
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[1] China’s spy bases in Cuba: US investigation reveals new evidence, Diario de Cuba (Dec. 9, 2024).
[2] U.S. Center for Strategic & International Studies, China’s Intelligence Footprint in Cuba: New Evidence and Implications for U.S. Security (Dec. 6, 2024).
COMMENT: U.S. Says It Is “Very Carefully” Monitoring China’s Activities in Cuba
On December 10, Henry Zemer, a co-author of a U.S. State Depatment report on Chinese activities in Cuba, said the U.S. was “very closely” monitoring those activities.
He also said, “We will protect our homeland and we will protect our interests. We assess that our diplomatic efforts have stymied the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) attempts to project and maintain its military power around the world. The PRC will continue to seek to increase its presence in Cuba, and we will continue to work to disrupt it.”
“Cuba offers China something unique: its proximity to the United States. In turn, China can provide the devastated island with capital injections that other allies cannot offer under current conditions. China has a larger economy and economic resources that Cuba needs, so security cooperation is very important. It is a mutual exchange.”
“China’s presence in Cuba is very important for both countries, and China ‘shows that it can operate far beyond its own borders, even right under the nose of the United States.’”
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Washington says it is monitoring China’s espionage in Cuba ‘very closely,’ Diario de Cuba (Dec. 11, 2024), https://diariodecuba.com/cuba/1733912159_58809.html