Why Argentinians perceive the Chinese space centre in a positive light, while Washington sees it as a military threat
In a nondescript Argentinian desert of Patagonia, China has invested $50 billion in developing a space centre to send a rocket to the dark side of the moon.
Prior to the arrival of Chinese contractors, the town was reeling with high unemployment and poverty. Enter the Chinese space programme, which brought in a lot of skilled workers from both China and Argentina, and the town experienced a new lease of life. In return, the move helped Beijing gain a foothold in Latin America and position itself in the 'backyard' of the US. The agreement also came at a steal: 494 acres of land, rent and tax-free, for 50 years, with just 10 percent access to the Argentine government.
Argentina has a long history of cooperating with foreign countries to improve its space centre. The latest international cooperation it signed was with Russia in October 2019. Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS will build several stations of the Glonass in Argentina, among other joint projects. “Beijing could be in violation of the terms of its agreement with Argentina to only conduct civilian activities and may have the ability to monitor and potentially target US, allied, and partner space activities,” said Faller, in a written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Espinosa said China's presence, despite the departure of its workers, was "ultimately a positive development" for a town that was always low on investment and struggling to create jobs.
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