China-Cuba Relations bringing US heat; suggestion to attack shut down

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

August 11, 2023 – The US says it would be deeply concerned about any military plans in Cuba involving China.

The sentiment comes as the East Asian country is reportedly in advanced talks to put a military base in Cuba with the possibility of stationing troops on the northern Caribbean island, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

While both the US and Cuban government have spoken out against the report as inaccurate, Antony Blinken,US Secretary of State took the time to express these concerns directly to the Chinese government.

“We made very clear that we would have deep concerns about intelligence or military activities in Cuba,” he continued “This is something we’re going to be monitoring very, very closely and we’ve been very clear about that— and we will protect our homeland, we will protect our interests,” said Blinken in a press briefing in June. The announcement followed  a visit to China.

Though decrying the report as not accurate there are indications that some in Washington are concerned about the development of a Chinese foothold so near to Florida, as one Republican, Florida rep Matt Gaetz tried to introduce a bill that would allow the US President the power to attack Chinese assets in Cuba.

“I support an Authorization for Use of Military Force to take out the Chinese assets in Cuba,” he said.

He claimed that China was ‘functionally turning Cuba into a stationary aircraft carrier’ and said:

“I loathe war— but I believe in this case giving the president the authority to take out these Chinese assets in Cuba might be the very thing necessary to prevent war,” He said of the plan that would allow the US to functionally attack Cuban soil.

The authorization was stuck down and has been denounced by human rights groups.