Argentina’s move against China – following Trump’s pressure

At the foot of the Andes Mountains in Argentina, in one of the best stargazing and space exploration sites in the world, stands a huge Chinese radio telescope – but it does not receive a single signal. The authorities in Argentina stopped the completion of the project following heavy political pressure from the United States, the New York Times reported.

According to the report, the skies above South America have become points of friction in the geopolitical struggle between the United States and China, with senior American officials trying to stop astronomical projects in the Andes for fear that China could use them for military purposes. The Chinese telescope located in Argentina may give China a view of places that cannot be seen from Beijing.

American officials who spoke to The Times said that the United States government has repeatedly expressed concern to Argentine authorities about the Chinese telescope, fearing that it could be used to track American satellites and communicate with Chinese satellites. This is not an isolated case. Last year, Chile stopped a Chinese observatory project in the Atacama desert, after American pressure. The political pressure began during the Biden administration, and continued even more strongly under the Trump administration – which set him the goal of focusing on establishing American dominance in Latin America.

The United States even flew to its territory in November Argentine scientists who were supposed to work with the Chinese telescope, for training on “concerns about the dual use of civilian space research facilities”, the New York Times reported. One of the scientists told the newspaper that they tried to convince the Americans that the Chinese telescope would be used exclusively for civilian purposes – but without success.

The Chinese embassy in Buenos Aires responded to American pressure and said that the United States was “looking for an excuse to slow down and oppress China.” According to them, the purpose of the project was to promote scientific progress in both Argentina and China, for the benefit of all humanity. They called the American position “ridiculous and unfortunate”.

China is a major trading partner for many Latin American countries, and it is trying to build scientific and security ties in the region. The United States is trying to curb China’s influence on the continent, and in the framework of this, it also helped Argentinian President Javier Millay and provided him with $20 billion in aid.