Politics
Cuban regime echoes Beijing's narrative on surveillance balloon
China has claimed that the balloon was a civilian device used for meteorological research that had strayed from its path and entered U.S. airspace accidentally
February 10, 2023 7:04am
Updated: February 10, 2023 7:04am
Cuba is supporting China’s version of the surveillance balloon that was found traveling over the continental United States last week.
After discovering the balloon on Feb. 2 near Montana, the Pentagon said it was “confident” that the balloon was sent by the Chinese communist regime to collect sensitive information.
China has claimed the balloon was a civilian device used for meteorological research that strayed from its path and entered U.S. airspace accidentally. However, the Chinese Communist Party declined to say which company it belonged to.
The balloon was ultimately shot down by the United States on Saturday over the Atlantic Ocean.
The incident has escalated tensions between China and the U.S., causing Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his upcoming trip to China.
The regime in Havana has been repeating China’s version of the story, signaling that as ties between the United States and China deteriorate, the ties between Havana and Beijing only get stronger.
In January, Cuba’s ambassador to China, Carlos Pereira, and the vice-president of China International Development Cooperation Agency, Tang Wenhong, signed an agreement formalizing a donation of $100 million.
"We signed a cooperation agreement that formalizes a $100 million donation granted by China during the visit of President Miguel Díaz-Canel in November 2022," Pereira posted on Twitter.
In November, the two countries pledged mutual support over “core interests.” Chinese President Xi Jinping added that he hoped to "strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs" with the island.
