According to what the newspaper quoted knowledgeable sources as saying, the intelligence reports reviewed during the administration of the former US president raised, at the time, suspicions that the two companies may have "a role in expanding China's capabilities to spy on countries in the United States from Cuba."

The Wall Street Journal noted that "it is not possible to know whether the Biden administration followed up on this issue."

Huawei, a leading supplier of telecom equipment, smartphones and other advanced equipment, has been a frequent target of Washington's criticism in recent years over cybersecurity and espionage concerns.

The administration of former President Donald Trump banned American companies from dealing with the group, while his successor Joe Biden imposed additional sanctions, including a ban on the sale of new Huawei equipment in the United States.

While the White House did not respond to a request for comment on the possible roles of Huawei and "ZTE" in Chinese espionage operations in Cuba, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed on Tuesday that he had warned China's leaders of "deep US concerns about reports of sensitive activities by Beijing Ying in Cuba.

"Yes, I have made it very clear that the presence of intelligence or military activity of the People's Republic of China in Cuba would cause us great concern," the minister said in London after a visit to Beijing.