Foreign Minister Blinken Says US Diplomacy Slows Chinese Spy Expansion Abroad

JAKARTA - President Joe Biden's administration has taken diplomatic steps that have slowed China's efforts to project military power around the world, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said ahead of his visit to Beijing this weekend.

Washington's top diplomat was asked at a news conference on Washington's response to a Wall Street Journal report last week citing US officials as saying a new spy attempt was underway in Cuba.

Foreign Minister Blinken said China's efforts in Cuba were part of Beijing's global efforts to expand its presence abroad, and that the US action to address this since President Joe Biden came to power in January 2021 had paid off, without specifying what the outcome would be.

"Our experts assess that our diplomatic efforts have slowed down the RRT's efforts," Foreign Minister Blinken said referring to the People's Republic of China.

China itself on Monday denied they planned to use Cuba as a spy base.

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Blinken said the administration of former President Donald Trump was aware of an increase in intelligence gathering facilities by China in Cuba in 2019. However, efforts to overcome this "did not make enough progress".

President Biden's government officials have been briefed on China's efforts to "expand foreign logistics, bases and collection infrastructure, to allow them to project and maintain military force at a longer distance," Foreign Minister Blinken said.

President Biden instructed his team to take a more direct approach, which includes involving a government that is considering hosting a Chinese base and exchanging information with them, Foreign Minister Blinken said.

"We have carried out that approach calmly, carefully - but, according to our assessment, with results - since then. I cannot explain every step we have taken, but that strategy begins with diplomacy," said Foreign Minister Blinken.