CHINA REPLACES RUSSIA IN ELECTRONIC SPY OPERATIONS IN CUBA;
PLA BEGINS NEW SIX-MONTH WAR GAMES IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT
by Al Santoli
May 9:
In Beijing's official China Daily, a columnist has called on Japan to work with China to minimize U.S. influence in Asia. By inventing the "China threat," the article states, the United States and Japan appeared to have a good excuse for strengthening their alliance after the former Soviet Union fell apart and the Cold War ended. Now, however, "Japan is confronted with a dilemma in its foreign strategy. On the one hand, Japan seeks to rely on the U.S.-Japan alliance to maintain regional order. On the other hand, it has to seek the Asian identity because it has been deeply involved in Asian economic affairs. At the same time, Japan needs its clout in Asia to increase its bargaining in its deals with the United States."
In order to promote inter-Asian economic and political clout, the columnist offers, "China is willing to develop closer economic relations with Japan after China's accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO)." It is also willing to work together with Japan for "Asian economic advancement" in order to rebuff "superpower" influence in the region.
May 12:
China has replaced Russia as Fidel Castro's main partner for electronic espionage and other activities directed against the United States in the Western hemisphere, NewsMax.Com reports in an article that first appeared in the April 2002 American Legion Magazine. Until recently, Russia paid Castro more than $200 million annually in much-needed hard currency for use of its massive electronic spy station at Lourdes. In a surprise move, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin suddenly withdrew his support and 1,500 advisers from Cuba in the wake of the September 11th attacks on Washington and New York. Now China, which had been building its own spy stations in Cuba, has supplanted the Russians as Castro's primary electronic espionage partner. Beijing has built a sophisticated new signals intelligence complex in Bejucal, Cuba, operating under the cover of Radio China.
In addition to being used for espionage, these installations are reportedly part of a robust cyber-warfare capability Castro is developing. The FCC has stated they are capable of interfering with U.S. communications and air traffic control. In one incident originating in Cuba, the report adds, U.S. officials claim that Chinese operatives sent a message to New York air traffic control replicating U.S. military fight codes and falsely identifying themselves as U.S. military transport planes - a chilling indication of things to come.
May 18:
Chinese military forces in Fujian province, opposite Taiwan, have begun a large-scale six-month military exercise, reports Bill Gertz in the Washington Times. The maneuvers include thousands of ground troops and amphibious forces. Tanks and artillery have been photographed lining the road between the province capitol Fuzhou and the coastal city of Xiamen, on the Taiwan Strait. The Hong Kong Wen Wei Po newspaper reports that 100,000 troops will participate in the maritime war games, "to test the comprehensive fighting abilities of the three-services in joint-landing operations."
END
China Reform Monitor No. 449, May 23, 2002
American Foreign Policy Council, Washington, D.C.
http://www.afpc.org
2002, American Foreign Policy Council
