China expands into Antarctica with new permanent base

Beijing is embarking on the "most significant" expansion of its presence in Antarctica after new satellite images revealed the communist regime has resumed construction of a fifth polar station.

According to a Washington think tank, the new station, located on Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, could be used as a spy operation. “ Although they are essential for tracking and communicating with China's growing array of science satellites, ground stations can support intelligence gathering ,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies report reads. “It is important to note that the station's location could allow it to collect intelligence signals from Australia and New Zealand, allies of the United States, and it could collect telemetry data on rockets launched from newly created space facilities in both countries.

CSIS says China has had more trouble establishing a footprint in the northern Arctic and, instead, has a "freer hand" to explore the South Pole.

While the United States still maintains the largest presence on the continent, Beijing's presence is expanding rapidly. Beijing currently has four stations (all to be expanded), including the Great Wall, Taishan, Kunlun and Zhongshan.

“Zhongshan Station's resources could be leveraged to gather intelligence on foreign militaries in the Indian Ocean, including Diego Garcia's joint US-UK Naval Support Facility. It could also play a supporting role in monitoring the developing Indian naval forces operating in the region."

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has maintained that its frequent expeditions to Antarctica are for research purposes only.

However, the US Department of Defense has stated that the CCP's strategy is to develop "dual-use technologies, facilities and scientific research," all aimed at enhancing the capabilities of China's People's Liberation Army. These research stations could also be key locations for Beijing's response to the US-run global positioning system, the BeiDou satellite network.

“There is absolutely no reason why Antarctica is immune to this doctrine,” Anthony Bergin, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told The Epoch Times earlier. “Particular technologies, particular pieces of scientific research, could be transformed into part of a larger system. We do not expect a direct military threat from Antarctica."

The Antarctic Treaty system, established in 1961, is a key agreement governing international relations on the continent. The treaty is considered one of the "most successful international agreements" because it was based on goodwill and peaceful cooperation between nations. Since the CCP ratified the treaty in 1983, it has steadily expanded its presence, fishing fleets and research expeditions on the continent. Beijing's role in Antarctica affairs has been controversial on other fronts as well.

In 2022, Russia and China again blocked a proposal to establish a new conservation zone in the area during a meeting of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). This was the sixth consecutive year that such a proposal has been blocked by either side.

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The article China expands to Antarctica with a new permanent base comes from Scenari Economics .

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This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-cina-si-espande-in-antartide-con-una-nuova-base-permanente/ on Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:05:09 +0000.