(RightWing.org) – Chinese saber-rattling appears to be expanding from the Indo-Pacific region next to China to the Caribbean, an American subregion between South America’s northern rim and Florida. A recent report indicated the White House is scrambling to address the looming possibility of a new Chinese base located a stone’s throw from the US.
On June 20, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a stunning exposé detailing Chinese ambitions to establish a joint military training facility in Cuba. Citing US intelligence reports, the WSJ warned that discussions between ruling Chinese Communist Party officials and Cuban authorities are at an “advanced stage” but remain ongoing.
Biden administration officials have reportedly contacted Cuban officials to derail the negotiations. It remains unclear whether those efforts have succeeded since White House officials declined a request for comment from the report’s authors.
“This is something we’re going to be monitoring very, very closely and we’ve been very clear about that,” @SecBlinken said during a June 20 press conference in London.
“We will protect our homeland. We will protect our interests.”https://t.co/kepo17HiYO
— NTD Television (@TelevisionNTD) June 21, 2023
Later that day, WSJ reporter William Mauldin cornered Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the proposed Cuban base during a joint press conference at the British foreign secretary’s residence in London. The WSJ’s foreign affairs correspondent referenced a State Department readout discussing the Secretary’s recent visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) published on June 19. The notice advised that Blinken and Chinese officials discussed “US concerns” regarding “PRC intelligence activities in Cuba” without elaborating.
Mauldin asked if Blinken also discussed Chinese military activities in Cuba with Xi Jinping and how that might impact the “détente” that has recently emerged between the two nations.
Blinken confirmed he addressed American concerns regarding PRC intelligence and military activities in Cuba. He also pointed out that the US had engaged in diplomatic discussions with several other countries about China’s efforts to expand its range of influence. He said the administration had enjoyed “some success in slowing down [those] efforts.”
The Secretary of State concluded his remarks by advising that administration officials would closely monitor the situation. “We will protect our homeland… our interests,” he promised.
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