China plan for an intelligence base in Cuba it is indicative of Beijing’s international ambitions reaching America’s doorstep.

The station, which will be located 100 miles from Florida, will allow the Chinese military to intercept communications in much of the US South. Most importantly, this establishment this will anchor China in an area of ​​economic and geopolitical importance to the US and at the same time expand the field of competition.

“The days when the United States viewed China’s challenge as limited to the Indo-Pacific region are over,” said Michael Mazar, an international security expert at Rand Corp.

Beijing has for decades denounced overflights of reconnaissance aircraft and the passage of military or research vessels into areas that China considers vital to its security.

Installation in Cuba can hardly be considered China’s “trading paper”. It is expected that the United States will not withdraw military forces to the periphery of China, given the geopolitical concerns of Washington.

For years, China has viewed Cuba – given the general ideological orientations of their regimes – as a springboard for expanding its influence in Latin America. The Soviet Union and later Russia maintained similar facilities near Havana for decades, setting a precedent. As a result, according to security experts, China’s installation does not cross US red lines..

Over the past 20 years, Beijing has become an economic player in Latin America, increasing investment in agriculture, energy, mining and other industries. It has become a leading trading partner for many countries in the region, including Brazil, Argentina and Chile, while increasing its political influence.

At the same time, the Biden administration is hard at work on strengthening defense cooperation with its allies in the China region. Assistant Secretary of Defense Eli Ratner recently praised the benefits the US has gained from working with countries such as Japan, Australia, India and the Philippines.

With Beijing planning to build in Cuba, the US is likely to try to prevent China’s military expansion through either diplomatic or economic pressure.

China’s only joint overseas military base in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, has been gradually expanded.

“I’m sure the Chinese want to operate somewhere in the Western Hemisphere with credibility,” said Zach Cooper, a China security expert at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. “And Cuba is probably the perfect place.”