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It's China vs US again, this time in Chile over a space project
China and the US cannot seem to catch a break from all the disputes they have been engaging in for the past couple of months. As the two countries have barely settled a trade dispute triggered by tariffs, Beijing has now slammed Washington over its concerns about an increased Chinese presence in Chile.
During a press conference in Santiago, the Chinese Ambassador to Chile, Niu Qingbao, defended the country's space project in the South American nation. He accused the US of meddling in Chile's autonomy and spreading false information about the project.
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What is the space project?
In December 2024, Newsweek reported that a new observatory is being built at Cerro Ventarrones in Chile's Atacama Desert. It's a joint project between Chile's Universidad Católica del Norte and China's National Astronomical Observatories.
The observatory will track objects in Earth's orbit and look for new stars. However, it may also support China's military space program—something Chilean partners reportedly knew little about. Construction has started on the 10-square-mile Ventarrones Astronomical Park, located below an 8,600-foot peak in the Andes.
Why is the US concerned?
China's presence in Chile has made Washington anxious about its intentions and growing presence in Latin America. During his Senate confirmation, US President Donald Trump's Chilean Ambassador nominee Brandon Judd flagged Beijing's project in the country.
He said, 'We are the better partner in everything, whether it's Antarctica, fisheries, marine conservation - in all of the areas that are very important to Chile. We will continue to strengthen our ties to Chile and limit China's access to all of the resources that Chile might have available.'
What has China said?
Meanwhile, China has dismissed America's concerns with Niu stating that Beijing has no geopolitical interests in the region.
'We are closely monitoring the developments of the incident and hope that the Chilean side can eliminate US interference and approve the implementation of the project as soon as possible,' Niu said.
On the other hand, Chile, in March, halted the Chinese project to put it under review. 'We are aware of it, so we are revising and analysing it,' a spokesperson for Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Newsweek.
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