Trump on Chinese base in Cuba: ‘I’d give them 48 hours to get out’

Former President Trump said he would give China a 48-hour window to abandon its spy base in Cuba, threatening severe tariffs on Chinese goods.

“I’d give them 48 hours to get out. And if they didn’t get out, I’d charge them a 100 percent tariff on everything they sell to the United States, and they’d be gone within two days. They’d be gone within one hour,” Trump said in a Reuters interview Thursday.

Trump made tough China policy key to his reelection bid in 2020, and he is doing so again in 2024. Politicians from both parties have shared concerns over the Chinese base, which government officials confirmed exists earlier this month and has been on the island since at least 2019.

The facility allows China to eavesdrop on electronic communications, including satellite communication, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal, which revealed the site.

“The American public needs to be assured that their government unequivocally condemns this escalation, and is working to do everything in its power to counter it,” Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) wrote this month.

“While we understand the sensitive nature of this matter, Congress also requires greater transparency and clarity about these developments,” they added.

A conflict over the spy base wouldn’t be the first time Trump suggested tariffs on China. He implemented harsh tariffs on certain Chinese goods during a looming trade war with the economic powerhouse in 2019. Some of those tariffs were left in place by President Biden.

Republicans have called Biden “too weak” on China. The White House said the U.S. has taken steps to “mitigate” spying efforts in Cuba.

“We communicated over the weekend; this is not a new development that China’s been trying to achieve some intelligence gathering capabilities in Cuba,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this month.

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