U.S.-China Rivalry Reaches South American Skies

[Zorro]

The U.S. has pressed Argentina and Chile to review two Chinese telescope projects in the Andean deserts. Astronomers are worried about setbacks to research.

In the foothills of the Argentine Andes, the enormous Chinese radio telescope sits in one of the world’s premier stargazing locations, surrounded by vast, undulating mountain ranges and beneath skies untouched by light pollution. It is also on the opposite side of the planet from Beijing, offering China a window on the half of the heavens it would not otherwise see.

But the Chinese telescope at the site, the Cesco observatory in San Juan Province, picks up no signals. After the U.S. government repeatedly pressed them on the issue, the Argentine authorities stopped the project’s completion. Lacking key parts, the telescope now sits dismembered, its gigantic antenna pointing blindly at the sky.

As the United States increasingly views Beijing as a rival in space, the stars above South America have become flash points in a geopolitical struggle, with top American officials trying to halt astronomy projects in the Andean deserts out of fear China could use them for military purposes.

The Trump administration says it is enforcing an updated Monroe Doctrine, in part to counter China’s growing footprint in the Western Hemisphere. China is a key trading partner for many countries in Latin America, and it is trying to build scientific and security ties. Its relations in the region could come up in official talks this week in Beijing between President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s leader.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/world/americas/us-china-telescope-argentina-chile.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hVA.lvck.SwKqQzYF4oLt&smid=url-share

[dave99]

1. Why should shitstain care ? It ain't a actual president.