Washington is required to limit the increasing Russian and Chinese influence in “Antarctica”

China and Russia’s latest declaration regarding expanding their presence on Antarctica is not just the latest extension of Moscow and Beijing’s “unlimited” partnership, but should be a warning bell of Washington that the southern continent, which has always been considered a geopolitical inactive, is a competition between the great powers.

China’s announcement of its intention coincided with the construction of a new polar station in “Antarctica”, with Russia’s announcement of building a new station as well, and other restoration that has been closed for a long time, as well as the construction of an airport.

The latest station for Beijing will be the sixth station in the Antarctic continent, along with the airport that began to build in 2018.

Russia maintains six active stations, and another five is currently closed. The latter’s Moscow and Beijing announcement came in the wake of the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin that the “Vostok” station, near the Antarctic, was successfully updated.

Research stations

Building and modernizing the “Antarctica” stations is not just a issue of symbolic competition or national prestige.

The United States has always enjoyed the advantages of a station in the Antarctic, as it made a unique field of scientific research, but it also established Washington’s leadership in supporting the “Antarctica” treaty and the current benign system that rules the continent.

However, the American leadership in “Antarctica” is getting more fragile, as it was the goal of the “Antarctica” treaty, as summarized by US Secretary of State, John Foster Dallas, while signing, was to prevent the spread of competition that belongs to the Cold War era to “Antarctica”.

Active

In recent decades, China has sought to overcome the boundaries of the treaty, and in some cases it actually exceeded it, as members of the People’s Liberation Army had a remarkable active role in the China program in “Antarctica”. In a direct violation of the treaty, Beijing has not informed the signed countries on the agreement there.

It is said that members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army have built a radar site at the Chonghan Station, which is believed to interfere with American polar satellites.

The latest Chinese station, called “Chenling”, is near the American “McMordo” station, and is equipped with advanced communication equipment and satellite terrestrial stations that can collect intelligence information on signals and monitor the launch of satellites.

Military civil integration

The Chinese strategists gave the touch of “Antarctica” to their faith, known as “military civil integration”, as the 2020 edition of the Chinese military book “The Science of Military Strategy” claimed that “civil military mixing is the main way to the great forces to achieve a polar military presence.”

In line with Beijing’s ancient tradition in using the maps to refer to the strategic goals, the People’s Liberation Army adopted a map highlighting “Antarctica” more clearly, and helps to clarify Beijing’s vision of the southern continent as a pivotal and geopolitical point.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was clear about the importance of the Antarctica, as it was stated in 2014 that Beijing would seek to “understand, protect and exploit the Antarctica.”

The director of the Chinese administration of the Northern Pole and the Southern Pole, Zhou Tantchou, stated that the international community needs a time to “psychologically adapt” to the new situation in Antarctic Affairs. With regard to the southern pole, Tantchu said: “We are here for resource capabilities and how to use them.”

Refrading the rules

In fact, the insistence of China and Russia to reformulate the rules and criteria that govern behavior on the Antarctica, which must force Washington and others to reassess a strategic. According to the terms of the Madrid protocol attached to the Treaty of Antarctica, it is prohibited to explore and extract energy and minerals permanently on the continent.

A strange theory of popularity in the Chinese academic circles see that the protocol will end in 2048 (while in reality, it is only reviewed), then extractive activities can be started, and no prominent international legal researcher has supported this position.

In recent years, Moscow and Beijing have cooperated to refuse to establish new protected naval areas along the Antarctica coast, by the Antarctica Marine Resources Committee, another attempt to undermine international institutions from within.

Exploitation opportunities

The Beijing Strategic Studies Society is speculation about the potential exploitation opportunities in “Antarctica” and the southern part of it, which is believed to contain exceptional stocks of energy, minerals and fish.

Ann Marie Brady said that the expanded Chinese polar presence is explained to the Chinese public as “part of China’s efforts to secure a share of polar resources.”

“Exploration of China for the continent is more like playing chess, it is important to have a position in the global game, and we do not know when the game will start, but it is necessary to have a foothold.”

The book “The Science of Military Strategy”, published by the National Defense University in Beijing in 2020, states that “the polar areas have become an important destination for our country’s interests to expand abroad and on far borders.”

Promotion of influence

But with the arrival of the competition of the great powers to “Antarctica”, Washington has repeatedly avoided strengthening its influence in this vital region. The administration of former US President Joe Biden did not object specifically on Beijing’s strange interpretation of the Madrid protocol or efforts to obstruct the preservation of the marine environment in the southern ocean. It is worrying that the United States has not made any sudden inspection, according to what the Antarctica Treaty allows for any Chinese or Russian station or any other non -American station since 2020. Unfortunately, and because of logistical restrictions, the 2020 inspection did not reach the most anxious Beijing stations in «Chungshan» and “Kunlon” at the highest ice peak in the continent. The geographical sites of these stations make them uniquely suitable for gathering signals or space war activities.

The United States has long been focused on the Arctic, not to allocate any additional resources to “Antarctica”.

Comprehensive strategy

Instead of the 2024 National Security Memorandum issued by the Biden Administration, regarding the United States ’policy towards the“ Antarctica ”region, the administration of President Donald Trump should consider a comprehensive American strategy for the southern pole, similar to the Arctic strategy that was approved in the first state of Trump.

This comprehensive American strategy of the southern pole will support a strong American presence on the continent, including financing and updating the current American stations, in addition to building new stations to extend American influence throughout Antarctica. This presence requires air and sea assets equipped with full resources to restore supply, in addition to conducting searches for Chinese and Russian stations, according to what the “Antarctica” treaty allows. This strategy will also show that the United States, in cooperation with partners such as Australia and New Zealand, will reject China and Russia’s efforts to undermine the existing international legal framework that rules the continent. About “Fourn Police”

. The Popular Liberation Army adopted a map of “Antarctica” that helps clarify Beijing’s vision of the southern continent as a pivotal and geopolitical point.

. The United States has not made any sudden inspection, according to the Treaty of Antarctica, for any Chinese or Russian station or any other non -American station since 2020.