this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2024
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42
As China ramps up its presence in Antarctica, analysts say Australia is 'asleep at the wheel' (www.abc.net.au)
submitted 2 years ago by 0x815@feddit.de to c/australia@aussie.zone
7 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

When China opened its fifth research station in Antarctica this month, analysts sounded alarm bells about potential security threats on Australia's southern doorstep.

Experts warned that China's expanding activity in Antarctica combined with Australia's inaction and lack of funding could lead to Beijing's increased strategic presence in the frozen continent.

The new Qinling base could also improve China's surveillance capabilities and give it more control over transport routes to exploit resources, they say.

Elizabeth Buchanan from the Australian National University’s National Security College said the Chinese government had a "remarkable ability" to plan for the long term.

"So, they may not be looking to utilise this research station for anything other than collaborative international research for the next 20 years," Dr Buchanan said.

"And then all of a sudden, it's a staging platform … to strike, to facilitate war if that day ever came."

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[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

We're kinda asleep at the wheel for everything china, or our pollies are wide awake and cashed up on chinese investment funds.

[–] zurohki@aussie.zone 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Not all of them, some of them are lying on the ground drunk.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 2 points 2 years ago

Half their luck haha

[–] TinyBreak@aussie.zone 9 points 2 years ago

They’re searching for the second stargate.

[–] Nath@aussie.zone 7 points 2 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_stations_in_Antarctica#Permanent_active_stations

Argentina has six, Australia and USA have three each, Chile has four, Russia has five and New Zealand has two. Among several other countries.

It sounds pretty crowded down there, but for all of that, Antarctica is big. There's plenty of room for China, too.

Saying 'sure, the Chinese might be doing research now, but they could do bad things 20 years down the track' is textbook fearmongering. Unless and until China does something against the International Antarctic treaty, then I see no issue.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 years ago

idk if our gov can claim any moral highground with the absolutely ludicrous claim they assert for "research".

It seems a bit paranoid in general, who am I to judge though. Still it's deeply funny to me that our greatest fear is someone doing to us what the British empire already did, while also denying how evil that empire was.

[–] Tristaniopsis@aussie.zone 0 points 2 years ago

Putin is outrageous but his threat will be short lived.

China is bizarre totalitarian long-haul evil, and needs to be quashed everywhere until democratic processes can overcome from within.