"China is expanding its presence in Antarctica! The German "Star" weekly said on the 11th that on the occasion of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, China, a large country in the Far East, opened its fifth research station in Antarctica this week. The West is sounding the alarm and suspects that China may use its presence for military and other purposes. A new race between the great powers?
Qinling StationOn the doorstep of the United States?
It stands there like a giant cross, and the building is made of glass and metal and is located in the middle of the icy rocks of Antarctica. This brand new building is called Qinling. On Wednesday, it officially became China's newest fifth research station at the South Pole near the Ross Sea. Due to the proximity of Qinling Station to McMurdo Station in the United States. The British "Times" even said that China is building an Antarctic base on the doorstep of the United States.
Germany's Star weekly reported that the construction of the Qinling station began in 2018, but its opening was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Qinling Mountains are named after the constellation of the Southern Cross, which was inspired by the Chinese navigator Zheng He's reliance on the Southern Cross to navigate the West. Modular workstations feature living and working spaces, labs, and dining venues. Up to 80 people can live and work here in the summer and up to 30 in the winter.
According to Star Weekly, China aspires to become a "polar power". The completion of the Qinling Mountains is a strong guarantee for scientists in China and the world to continue to explore the mysteries of nature and boldly climb to the pinnacle of science. China calls for better understanding, protection and use of the polar regions, and making new and greater contributions to the well-being of mankind and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Qinling Station is under constructionThe United States classifies it as a military facility
Although China has made it clear, the US has started its usual "smear mode". The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank based in Washington, D.C., reports that the Qinling Mountains are well-positioned to intercept intelligence signals from Australia and New Zealand and gather intelligence from both countries. A satellite ground station should also be built in Qinling. At the same time, China's presence in Antarctica is growing at an accelerated pace, the think tank told Reuters.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, China plans to equip the Zhongshan station with more antennas. The facilities will be built by significant players in Chinese space travel, which the United States classifies as military facilities. There are also concerns that China may collect information about foreign powers in the Indian Ocean. This also includes the Diego Garcia naval base in the United States and the United Kingdom.
China's growing contribution to Antarctic science could pave the way for China to have a greater say in the future management of the region, according to CSIS, the largest McMurdo station in the United States. The Antarctic Treaty's environmental protocol could be renegotiated in 2048, which would give China the opportunity to help shape future rules for the exploitation of mineral resources. Many of these metals are suspected to be present in the region, such as **, platinum, and other metals. It is estimated that Antarctica contains 45 billion barrels of oil and 115 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. However, these raw materials may not be mined. China is also interested in Antarctic fish stocks and Antarctic krill farming. China is already one of the largest krill fishers in Antarctica. Changing the treaty would allow China to extract raw materials and increase fishing.
The U.S. Department of Defense has also made irresponsible comments about China's activities in Antarctica. In its 2023 report to Congress, the Pentagon wrote that Beijing's presence on the Antarctic continent "is certainly related to its civilian space program and future PLA missions."
UK research stationThe United States "shouts to catch the thief".
In response, the Chinese side denied allegations that China was using its research stations as intelligence gathering facilities. "As a negotiator of the Antarctic Treaty, China has always ensured that our activities are in line with the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty system," a Chinese spokesman said in response to a Reuters query. Qinling will be built and operated in full accordance with international rules and procedures.
It was only in 1985 that China's first research facility, the Great Wall Station, was put into operation. It is located in the Drake Passage and is an important passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the station is equipped with antennas and other monitoring equipment that makes it possible to closely monitor ships passing through strategically important passages. This was followed by Zhongshan Station (1989), Kunlun Station (2009), Taishan Station (2014), and now Qinling Station.
Jiang Yun, an Australian political scientist at the German research station, believes that concerns about China's intentions, including militarization, are overblown. They are based on misconceptions. Beijing has little interest in Antarctica. "On the contrary, it seems to me that China is taking a different approach to various geopolitical issues. In Antarctica, it is unlikely to use force, but will confidently and actively represent its interests in existing international forums under the Antarctic Treaty," she wrote in a 2022 article from the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
U.S. troops in AntarcticaRussian: Half of the American researchers are military
The accusations made by the US side show the consistent hegemonic thinking of the United States. For the United States, the United States can conduct military acts, other countries cannot, and must be accused by the United States and its small allies. The Russian side has previously said that half of the US Antarctic expedition personnel are military personnel and secretly conduct military tests in Antarctica. They conducted offensive and defensive experiments at their bases. A number of other countries, mainly Latin American countries, are conducting defensive tests.
In particular, McMurdo Station in the United States is the largest scientific research center in Antarctica, with a capacity of 1,258 residents. It is also the largest Antarctic research station in the United States and their logistics base for half the continent, with all people and cargo to and from Amundsen-Scott Antarctica passing through McMurdoe. It apparently became the military center of Antarctica for the United States. It is ostensibly run by the Antarctic Program of the National Academy of Sciences, but in fact it also has the participation of the U.S. military.
In the mid-to-mid-20th century, seven countries also claimed sovereignty over parts of the region: the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, Australia, Norway, Chile and Argentina. However, due to the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1961, to which 56 countries have now joined, these claims have been shelved. South of the 60th parallel, Antarctica is dedicated to scientific research. Military activities, disposal of nuclear waste and nuclear testing are prohibited.
The United States is more worried about China's Qinling station than afraid that China will undermine its "unipolar order" in Antarctica. At present, countries including China are promoting a new version of the Antarctic Treaty's environmental protection protocol. This means that the rules set by the United States and the West will be broken, and emerging countries such as China may leave their mark on the new treaty. This allows China to more vigorously protect its interests in Antarctica.