China has reached a secret deal with Cuba to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island roughly 100 miles (160 km) from Florida, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, but the U.S.

The White House and Pentagon called media reports on Thursday of Chinese plans to build a spy facility in Cuba inaccurate, capping off a day in which new concerns about national security threats emanating from Beijing sparked calls for a harder line against the country.

After initially calling reports “inaccurate,” an official says that the administration “inherited” the problem.

"I can tell you based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate, that we are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station," said Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder.