Are China and the US jostling for position at the highest point in Antarctica?
- Beijing is leading negotiations to turn Dome Argus into a special zone for ‘scientific research and protecting the environment’
- It was the first country to set up a station there, but now the US has its own base – and some researchers say it’s trying to block the Chinese plan
The foreign ministry said Beijing was taking the lead in “open negotiations” to turn Dome Argus, which is also known as Dome A, into a protected region – or Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA).
China has the biggest presence on Dome Argus and was the first nation to reach the remote plain of ice, at 4,093 metres above sea level, in a land expedition in 2005, according to Chinese researchers.
It established the Kunlun station there 10 years ago, setting up research facilities including a telescope array for astronomical observation and monitoring space debris.
But the US has since set up its own, temporary base about 100km (62 miles) away from Kunlun, which some Chinese researchers see as an attempt to block Beijing’s ASMA plan.
The US base appears to be backed by the US military programme supporting Antarctic activities, Operation Deep Freeze, according to a Chinese polar scientist who asked not to be named due to the political sensitivity of the issue.