US-China Space Race Extends to South America; Chinese Telescope Projects Halted
The US-China space race has expanded to South America, with the US successfully pressuring Argentina and Chile to halt Chinese astronomical telescope projects due to concerns over potential military use. This geopolitical tension is affecting scientific collaboration.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 22:20
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 22:32 (11 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 11, 2026 at 23:23 (50 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, New York, 11th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The New York Times revealed that the US-China space race has expanded to South America, with the United States pressuring Argentina and Chile to postpone Chinese astronomical telescope projects within their borders. Some scholars stated that scientific progress is being hindered, while US officials are concerned that Beijing may use such equipment for military purposes.
According to The New York Times, a large Chinese radio telescope at the Cesco observatory in the Andean foothills of San Juan province, Argentina, has yet to receive any signals. After repeated pressure from the US government, Argentina ordered the project to halt. The entire telescope has become fragmented due to a lack of critical components, with its massive antenna pointing blankly towards the sky.
This telescope project was initiated 15 years ago by the National University of San Juan (UNSJ) in Argentina and the National Astronomical Observatories of China, with an investment of US$32 million (approximately NT$1 billion). The telescope features a gigantic 130-meter diameter satellite dish antenna, said to be capable of capturing radio waves from deep space, helping scientists map the birthplaces of galaxies.
Then-US President Donald Trump's administration stated it was pushing a new version of the Monroe Doctrine as part of Washington's effort to counter Beijing's growing influence in the Western Hemisphere. China, a major trading partner for many Latin American countries, is seeking to strengthen cooperation in science and security.
This telescope was originally expected to be the largest of its kind in South America, but some final critical components were seized by customs for about nine months upon entry.
Documents from the Argentine government's cabinet chief show that irregularities occurred during the renewal of the cooperation agreement after its expiration, leading to project delays. Argentina declined to comment on whether US diplomatic pressure influenced these decisions.
Multiple former and current US officials stated that the US repeatedly expressed concerns to Argentine authorities about the Chinese telescope project, fearing that these facilities could be used to track US satellites or communicate with Chinese satellites. This pressure reportedly began during former President Joe Biden's administration and continued under the Trump administration.
Scientists had hoped to share telescope resources with China and other countries, but now the US-China rivalry has expanded to the South American desert, posing a threat to the exploration of vast space.
Astronomer Ana Maria Pacheco, 61, said, "We are caught in a political black hole," adding that the radio telescope would have helped compensate for the shortage of relevant instruments in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the Northern Hemisphere. The US State Department has not yet responded to the New York Times' request for comment.
US officials said they realize it is not easy to completely exclude China's influence in Latin America, but they believe the halt of the San Juan province radio telescope project shows that US diplomacy helps curb China's ambitions in space, and even military ambitions.
At the urging of the US State Department, the US Trade Representative (USTR) added clauses to new bilateral trade agreements restricting Argentina's cooperation with China in the space domain. The agreement requires Argentina to "cooperate with US government experts to implement adequate control measures for space facilities operated by other countries, ensuring they are used solely for civilian purposes."
Today, the white metal structure of the telescope stands idle like a giant skeleton. In the basement of the telescope facility, chopsticks, oyster sauce cans, and tea cans left by Chinese technicians can be seen on tables, and Chinese signs on the wall instruct how to deal with pumas.
A similar situation also occurred in Chile's Atacama Desert. At the strong urging of the US ambassador, Chile halted a Chinese space observatory project in the desert last year, and the mountain road built for the observatory is now abandoned.
The project was originally planned to install 100 telescopes to monitor asteroids and extragalactic explosions. However, Chilean authorities blocked the project's advancement after repeated pressure from the US.
US Ambassador to Chile Bernadette Meehan stated that she had raised concerns about this project with the highest levels of the Chilean government, saying that "preventing the project from materializing was extremely important to the US government" and directly calling it one of her most urgent tasks during her tenure.
She also stated that maintaining close relations with countries like Chile and Argentina is crucial to "preventing China from strengthening its geostrategic breakthroughs." (Compiler: Hong Chi-yuan) 1150511
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(Central News Agency, New York, 11th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The New York Times revealed that the US-China space race has expanded to South America, with the United States pressuring Argentina and Chile to postpone Chinese astronomical telescope projects within their borders. Some scholars stated that scientific progress is being hindered, while US officials are concerned that Beijing may use such equipment for military purposes.
According to The New York Times, a large Chinese radio telescope at the Cesco observatory in the Andean foothills of San Juan province, Argentina, has yet to receive any signals. After repeated pressure from the US government, Argentina ordered the project to halt. The entire telescope has become fragmented due to a lack of critical components, with its massive antenna pointing blankly towards the sky.
This telescope project was initiated 15 years ago by the National University of San Juan (UNSJ) in Argentina and the National Astronomical Observatories of China, with an investment of US$32 million (approximately NT$1 billion). The telescope features a gigantic 130-meter diameter satellite dish antenna, said to be capable of capturing radio waves from deep space, helping scientists map the birthplaces of galaxies.
Then-US President Donald Trump's administration stated it was pushing a new version of the Monroe Doctrine as part of Washington's effort to counter Beijing's growing influence in the Western Hemisphere. China, a major trading partner for many Latin American countries, is seeking to strengthen cooperation in science and security.
This telescope was originally expected to be the largest of its kind in South America, but some final critical components were seized by customs for about nine months upon entry.
Documents from the Argentine government's cabinet chief show that irregularities occurred during the renewal of the cooperation agreement after its expiration, leading to project delays. Argentina declined to comment on whether US diplomatic pressure influenced these decisions.
Multiple former and current US officials stated that the US repeatedly expressed concerns to Argentine authorities about the Chinese telescope project, fearing that these facilities could be used to track US satellites or communicate with Chinese satellites. This pressure reportedly began during former President Joe Biden's administration and continued under the Trump administration.
Scientists had hoped to share telescope resources with China and other countries, but now the US-China rivalry has expanded to the South American desert, posing a threat to the exploration of vast space.
Astronomer Ana Maria Pacheco, 61, said, "We are caught in a political black hole," adding that the radio telescope would have helped compensate for the shortage of relevant instruments in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the Northern Hemisphere. The US State Department has not yet responded to the New York Times' request for comment.
US officials said they realize it is not easy to completely exclude China's influence in Latin America, but they believe the halt of the San Juan province radio telescope project shows that US diplomacy helps curb China's ambitions in space, and even military ambitions.
At the urging of the US State Department, the US Trade Representative (USTR) added clauses to new bilateral trade agreements restricting Argentina's cooperation with China in the space domain. The agreement requires Argentina to "cooperate with US government experts to implement adequate control measures for space facilities operated by other countries, ensuring they are used solely for civilian purposes."
Today, the white metal structure of the telescope stands idle like a giant skeleton. In the basement of the telescope facility, chopsticks, oyster sauce cans, and tea cans left by Chinese technicians can be seen on tables, and Chinese signs on the wall instruct how to deal with pumas.
A similar situation also occurred in Chile's Atacama Desert. At the strong urging of the US ambassador, Chile halted a Chinese space observatory project in the desert last year, and the mountain road built for the observatory is now abandoned.
The project was originally planned to install 100 telescopes to monitor asteroids and extragalactic explosions. However, Chilean authorities blocked the project's advancement after repeated pressure from the US.
US Ambassador to Chile Bernadette Meehan stated that she had raised concerns about this project with the highest levels of the Chilean government, saying that "preventing the project from materializing was extremely important to the US government" and directly calling it one of her most urgent tasks during her tenure.
She also stated that maintaining close relations with countries like Chile and Argentina is crucial to "preventing China from strengthening its geostrategic breakthroughs." (Compiler: Hong Chi-yuan) 1150511
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship from you is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to get the latest news immediately.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.