Are Cuban-Chinese relations a threat to American security?

US President Joe Biden met with China's Xi Jinping in California in November 2023. The critical summit was a pivotal moment for the countries' damaged relations.

The summit was the culmination of diplomatic efforts to repair the relationship between both countries after many crises and spying accusations that year—one involving China and Cuba relations.

On June 9, the Wall Street Journal reported an exclusive about how the Chinese government reached an agreement to put a spy base in Cuba.

According to the article that cited two US intelligence sources, the Chinese government paid their Cuban counterpart billions for the base.

The story, which CNN and Politico later picked up, was qualified as "inaccurate" by the White House that same day. The Biden administration did not give any more details.

Cuba and China denied having reached any agreement for a spy base. Havana cited an international treaty they endorsed to avoid foreign military presence in Latin American countries.

However, the next day, a Biden administration official clarified that China had already established a base in Cuba, explained a Politico article.

"When this administration took office in January 2021, we were briefed" about sensitive Chinese programs, the official told Politico, including "the presence of PRC intelligence collection facilities in Cuba."

Cuban foreign relations minister Bruno Rodríguez released a statement claiming the reports were lies fabricated by the White House to justify the US' decades-long embargo on the island.

Two days later, in a White House briefing, spokesperson John Kirby said, as collected by Reuters, that China's efforts in Cuba were part of a global push to expand its presence overseas.

According to independent media on the island, Chinese presence in Cuba, although vital for some economic sectors, is not absolute.

The political relationship is still vibrant, as shown by the regular visits of Cuba's authorities to China yearly to facilitate commerce between the two countries.

Still, independent Cuban media hints that strategic alliances with countries like China and Russia are more vital for the island than interesting for the two eastern giants.

According to the independent digital journal '14ymedio', Russian officials have told their state media that negotiating with Cuba is complex because they bring nothing but their stance as a "revolution" to the table.

The last report by The Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) showed that Chinese investment and commerce relations with Latin America have grown over 30 times since 2000.

Still, the report was least concerned about the Caribbean, where Cuba is located, and more about South America, where China seems interested. The report mentions the lithium triangle in Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Despite Cuba's attractive location just off the shore of the US, it seems China is interested in investing in other regional assets. Being close to the US is not enough anymore.