Washington will counter China’s attempts to expand its influence in Cuba, the United States does not believe it is appropriate to compare Beijing’s moves with the United States’ own actions in Taiwan, State Department Deputy Chief of Staff Vedant Patel said.
China continues to strengthen its presence in Cuba by placing new radar stations near key U.S. targets, with new stations appearing in four areas: Bejucal, Wajai, Calabazar and El Salao. According to the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the stations could be used by China to intercept sensitive information from US military bases, spaceports and ships. US experts point out that the stations have a wide range of capabilities and could easily monitor US military activity in the region.
“I won’t comment, confirm or go into detail about this report. But I can say that we remain confident that the US can fulfil its security commitments at home and in the region. China has been active in Cuba for decades. And we know that the PRC will continue to try to increase its presence in Cuba and the U.S. will continue to work to prevent that from happening,” Vedant Patel said at the briefing.
The State Department press chief was asked whether, in light of these statements about China and Cuba, the U.S. recognised Beijing’s concerns about U.S. actions in Taiwan as valid.
“Any country can have the feelings it wants to have. I would not speak about it from this podium. But I also think that comparing our country to the PRC is like heaven and earth. We have seen for some time that China has been trying to expand its activities in Cuba. We are continuing our efforts to prevent this from happening. We will continue to monitor this area and will take appropriate action if necessary,” he emphasised.
We will remind, earlier the former adviser to the Minister of Defence in the administration of former US President Donald Trump, retired Colonel Douglas McGregor said that over the past twenty years, aggressive foreign policy has been detrimental to the United States itself.
