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View of the city by the sea in Havana, Cuba. Photo/REUTERS
WASHINGTON – A secret agreement reportedly reached between China and Cuba to build an electronic wiretapping facility approximately 100 miles from Florida raises concerns.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who also serves as vice chairman of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was “deeply disturbed by reports that Havana and Beijing are working together to target the United States and our people.”
The deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the multi-billion dollar agreement could pose a new, unprecedented threat to the US’s own backyard.
Tampa, 200 miles north of Miami is also the headquarters of the US Central Command which controls the military activities of Uncle Sam’s country around the world.
“The United States must respond to China’s ongoing and brazen attacks on our nation’s security,” Rubio said.
He warned, “We must be clear that it is unacceptable for China to set up intelligence facilities within 100 miles of Florida and the United States.”
“We urge the Biden administration to take steps to prevent this serious threat to our national security and sovereignty,” he said.
Officials at the White House and the Pentagon have cast doubt on the deal.
“While I cannot speak about this particular report, we are very aware of, and have spoken to many times with, the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to invest in infrastructure around the world that may have military purposes, including in this hemisphere,” said John Kirby. , a spokesman for the US National Security Council.
Kirby told Reuters he had “seen the report” but said, “It’s not accurate.” He did not elaborate on what he thought was wrong.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the outlet, “We are not aware of the case and as a result we are unable to comment right now.”
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