![The great power competition of US vs China took a new turn with a report that China operates a spy base in Cuba.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/us-vs-china-spy-base-cuba-great-power-competition-06122023-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
Reports that Cuba will host a Chinese spy station are likely to fuel hysterical debates in the U.S. over politics, not policy. Such a nearby facility would pose a threat that should be taken seriously. But a better debate over how the U.S. should respond would start with the correct historical analogy for what is happening today.