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China-linked astronomical projects in Argentina and Chile have become the center of a diplomatic dispute with the United States, amid concerns over science, security, and strategic influence in South America.
According to a report by the The New York Times, the United States has pressured Argentina and Chile to review China-linked astronomical projects in South America, in a dispute that has come to involve observatories installed in areas of high scientific interest.
The American action affected initiatives in the Argentine Andes and the Atacama Desert, regions sought by researchers for their low light pollution, high altitude, and favorable conditions for sky observation in the Southern Hemisphere.
In Argentina, the main case involves the China-Argentina Radio Telescope, known by the acronym CART.
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The radio telescope is scheduled to operate at the Carlos U. Cesco Observatory, in El Leoncito, San Juan province, at the foot of the Andes mountain range.
The project was developed in cooperation between Argentine and Chinese institutions, including the National University of San Juan and the National Astronomical Observatory of China, linked to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The installation, however, did not become operational.
Part of the equipment necessary for the project’s continuation was held at Argentine customs, while authorities in the country reviewed administrative aspects of the agreement signed with China.
The case also began to be followed from a diplomatic perspective, due to the dispute between Washington and Beijing for influence in technology and space sectors.
US pressure affects Chinese radio telescope in Argentina
CART was conceived as a radio telescope 40 meters in diameter, with the capacity to operate in different frequency bands and integrate astronomical observation networks.
According to the project’s own technical publications, the equipment was planned to operate at the Cesco Observatory and function both as an individual observation antenna and as a long baseline interferometry unit, a technique used to combine data from radio telescopes separated by large distances.
Its location in Argentina is relevant for research because it allows the observation of regions of the sky that cannot be monitored in the same way from Chinese territory.
This characteristic, according to astronomers, expands data collection capacity in the Southern Hemisphere and contributes to studies on celestial objects, geodetic measurements, and phenomena detectable by radio waves.
United States authorities expressed concern about projects of this type, considering that large-scale equipment can have scientific use and, at the same time, applications of strategic interest.
The American assessment, cited by international media, is that antennas capable of tracking objects in space could be used to monitor satellites or integrate orbital monitoring networks.
The Argentine government, in turn, cited administrative problems and outstanding issues in the agreement’s procedures as justification for the halt.
To date, there is no official confirmation that the decision was taken directly due to pressure from the United States, although American diplomatic involvement has been mentioned in reports on the case.
In Argentine academic circles, researchers and representatives of scientific institutions defended the scientific purpose of CART.
The argument presented by them is that the halt could affect investments already made, technical teams involved, and the country’s participation in international astronomical observation networks.
Chile reviews Chinese astronomical project in Atacama
In Chile, the dispute involves a project planned for the north of the country, in the Atacama Desert.
The region concentrates some of the most important observatories in the world due to its low humidity, clear skies, and a large number of nights favorable for space observation.
The Chinese initiative was associated with the Ventarrones Astronomical Park, linked to an agreement signed in 2023 between the National Astronomical Observatory of China and the Catholic University of the North.
The project envisioned the construction of a high-resolution facility for observing near-Earth objects, such as asteroids and comets.
Following inquiries from American authorities, the Chilean government began reviewing the project.
The concern raised by the United States was related to possible military or intelligence applications.
China denied these suspicions and stated that the initiative had a scientific purpose.
In April 2025, the Chinese ambassador in Santiago, Niu Qingbao, publicly criticized the United States’ stance.
According to the Portuguese press RTP, the diplomat accused Washington of interfering with Chile’s sovereign right to choose partners and of spreading disinformation about the project.
The Chilean review added another point of tension to the relationship between the two powers in Latin America.
For Chile, which hosts astronomical infrastructure of global reach, the case highlighted the need to reconcile scientific cooperation, national legislation, and security concerns presented by foreign governments.
United States and China dispute reaches space science
The pressure on astronomical projects occurs within a broader dispute between the United States and China for economic, technological, and diplomatic presence in Latin America.
In recent years, Beijing has expanded partnerships in the region in areas such as infrastructure, energy, mining, telecommunications, and scientific cooperation.
Washington began to pay closer attention to Chinese initiatives involving sensitive technology, communication, satellites, and space facilities.
During the Donald Trump administration, this topic gained prominence in speeches about Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere, especially when projects were seen by American authorities as capable of generating a strategic advantage for Beijing.
South America occupies an important position in this scenario because it brings together areas with rare conditions for space observation.
The Andean deserts, in particular, offer altitude, dry air, and less light interference.
For researchers, these characteristics favor the installation of high-precision instruments.
For governments, equipment capable of observing objects in orbit can also enter into debates about national security.
This overlap of interests has led universities and research centers to deal with demands that go beyond the academic agenda.
Projects conceived as scientific cooperation began to be evaluated by governments under diplomatic, technological, and security criteria.
As a consequence, agreements can be reviewed, equipment can be held back, and scientific schedules can be altered.
Researchers point to risk of delays in observatories
Astronomers interviewed in reports about the cases state that international projects depend on long-term planning, data sharing, and institutional stability.
When an initiative is suspended or reviewed, the effects can impact not only the physical work but also team training, data collection, and the participation of local researchers in global networks.
In Argentina, CART could integrate international very-long-baseline interferometry systems.
This technique allows combining signals captured by radio telescopes at different points on the planet and producing more detailed measurements of celestial objects.
Technical publications about the project also indicate that the equipment was planned to operate in multiple frequency bands.
In Chile, the review of the Ventarrones project occurred in a country that already hosts large international scientific consortia.
Therefore, the local discussion is not limited to the installation of a new observatory but also involves how such agreements are evaluated when there is participation from companies or institutions linked to competing powers.
The controversy shows that the space agenda has come to include antennas, sensors, databases, and ground observation infrastructure.
In addition to rockets and satellites, countries have also begun to compete for the ability to collect and interpret information about objects in space.
For the United States, the Chinese presence in observation facilities in the Southern Hemisphere requires oversight because it involves technologies that could have applications beyond academic research.
For China, American criticism represents an attempt to limit its international cooperation in science and technology.
Argentina and Chile, in turn, need to evaluate the projects within their own rules, scientific interests, and diplomatic relations.
The continuity of these initiatives will depend on the administrative and political decisions of each country.
Meanwhile, researchers are following the developments because delays in observatories of this magnitude can affect scientific timelines and already established international partnerships.
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