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CHINA is ramping up construction of its fifth research base in Antarctica that the West fear will allow them to spy on other nations.
The new station, situated on Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, is hoped to “fill in a major gap” in the nation’s ability to access the continent.
Researchers first laid the foundations for the base in 2018, but progress significantly stalled over the following few years.
It was music to the ears of Western governments, who have expressed concern about China’s increasing presence in the polar region.
They fear Beijing is trying to boost its surveillance capabilities rather than develop new shipping routes to the Arctic.
President Xi Jinping first outlined his plans to “understand, protect, and use” the Southern Hemisphere to his advantage nearly a decade ago.
This has since become the slogan for China’s polar exploits, as the nation continues to expand on its four existing research bases.
Satellite images of their latest project suggests teams have no longer downed tools and construction is now underway.
The snaps, collected by a Washington-based think tank in January, seem to prove work has resumed more than four years later.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) identified a series of new support facilities, temporary buildings and a helicopter pad.
It is even set to boast a wharf for China’s Xuelong icebreaker ships and an observatory with a satellite ground station when it is completed.
The groundwork for a larger main building at the 5,000-square-meter station also appears to be in progress.
Experts estimate the base could be completed by 2024.
“While the station can provide tracking and communications for China’s growing array of scientific polar observation satellites, its equipment can concurrently be used for intercepting other nations’ satellite communications,” CSIS said.
The structure is perfectly positioned to collect top-secret data from Australia and New Zealand, the boffins warned.
Telemetry data on rockets launched from the new Arnhem Space Centre located Down Under is also feared to be at risk.
China’s new station, in the Ross Sea area, will sit just 200 miles from the US’ McMurdo research base.
The surroundings boast a diverse range of sea life as well as being home to a large chunk of Adélie penguins, emperor penguins, Antarctic petrels and Antarctic minke whales.
China says the development of the fifth base will “definitely enhance their capacity in understanding Antarctica.”
The ambitious nation is part of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which only permits activities on the continent for “peaceful purposes.”
Military personnel are allowed to conduct scientific research, but are banned from setting up bases, carrying out maneuvers, or testing weapons.
China already has four Antarctic stations – Great Wall, Zhongshan, Kunlun and Taishan.
The latter is set to facilitate the transmission of data from ocean observation satellites sent into orbit later this year, when the country’s ninth satellite is launched.
China has been using them since 2002 for various purposes including oceanographic analysis, resource exploitation, the study of coastal ecology and disaster monitoring.
The Pentagon suspects the fifth research base is likely intended to strengthen China’s future claims to natural resources and maritime access, according to a 2022 report.
China has denied claims that any of the research facilities would be used for espionage.
The country has already proved its militarisation might with its extraordinary man-made islands in the flashpoint South China Sea.
The artificial bases are armed to the teeth with deadly hardware including missile aircraft, flight hangars, and spy planes.
It comes amid fears President Xi has set his sights on world domination with an empire of rogue states and ruthless tyrants, assisted by his lackey Vladimir Putin.
Experts told The Sun Online in no uncertain terms that the time is coming for China to lay down the gauntlet for the West.
They explained Xi is now “tired of Western influence” as he dreams of becoming “most powerful global power” – and he sees Putin and war in Ukraine as a moment to seize the initiative.
Beijing has plans to have the world’s most powerful military, wants to up its nuclear stockpile, and is extending a friendly hand to a web of potential new allies.
But they haven’t forgot about the space race either – and are still set on building a solar power plant by 2028 to beam energy back to Earth.
China plans to test key parts needed to make it a reality on their new Tiangong space station, a senior official told state media.
The ambitious idea will generate solar energy the same way kit back on Earth does, using the Sun’s rays, while also driving satellites in orbit.
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