China’s observatory in Chile in doubt as US raises concerns about potential military use

A planned Chinese observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert is facing possible cancellation after US officials in recent months have raised concerns about its potential military applications. The Chilean government is now reviewing the project and has not ruled out blocking the agreement between a local university and the National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC). Estimated to cost around US$80 million, the observatory was to be built on Cerro Ventarrones, a prime site for astronomical studies in Antofagasta, northern Chile. The project materialised through a partnership with Chile’s Universidad Católica del Norte and was to form a key part of China’s broader space strategy, which includes similar initiatives in Argentina and Venezuela. The plan was for the facility to host some 100 telescopes, focusing on tracking deep-space astronomical events and near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets. Chilean scientists were to have limited access to the facilities but could engage in joint research with Chinese researchers. Chile is a prime location for astronomical research. Its remote high-altitude terrain and clear skies have drawn international observatories from the US, Europe and Japan. Analysts believe China’s presence in the region could shift the balance of influence there, giving Beijing a strategic foothold in Latin America’s scientific and technological infrastructure. US officials have raised concerns about the project. According to a March 6 report by AthenaLab, a Santiago-based think tank specialising in defence and national security, US Space Force officials suggested that the observatory was intended to “accelerate China’s space expansion, particularly the deployment of low-orbit satellites”. Such equipment is commonly used for communications, climate monitoring, and military surveillance because it can provide high-resolution imaging and faster data transmission. China in a statement last year to Newsweek denied any military intentions. The Chinese scientists leading the project, Jiasheng Huang and Gongbo Zhao, did not immediately respond to the Post’s requests for comment. The issue was reportedly first raised with the Chilean government last December by Bernadette Meehan, then the US ambassador to Chile, who had been appointed by former US president Joe Biden. Now, the observatory’s construction is in doubt, with Chilean media reporting that President Gabriel Boric has decided to cancel the project. Officially, Chile’s foreign ministry said it was still reviewing the matter. The ministry “contacted the Catholic University of the North and the Chinese embassy” to obtain more information about the observatory and stated its “legal directorate is analysing the nature of the agreement”, according to its press release. Speaking to El Mercurio, a Chilean newspaper, the university said it valued “transparency, being at the disposal of the government to provide all the documentation they have requested and may request” regarding its partnership with the NAOC. The matter represents just the latest episode in a series of Sino-American tensions affecting Chile. Previously, Washington publicly opposed the installation of a Huawei Technologies undersea internet cable connecting Santiago to Shanghai and threatened to cancel Chile’s visa-waiver programme with the US if Chilean authorities allowed a Chinese company to print the country’s passports. Andres Borquez of the Millennium Nucleus on the Impacts of China in Latin America and the Caribbean, a research centre, said the project’s cancellation fit into a broader pattern of escalating US-China friction in the region. Chile has long pursued a strategy of “scientific diplomacy” to attract international observatories, Borquez added, noting that such partnerships were becoming increasingly entangled in global rivalries. “For years, Chile tried to maintain strategic ambiguity, balancing economic ties with China and security cooperation with the US,” he explained. “But as both powers become more assertive, it’s getting harder to navigate that middle ground.” Borquez said the case highlighted a shift in Chile’s approach to hi-tech collaboration. “What we’re seeing is a clearer alignment with US technology and security policies, especially in projects involving data and digital infrastructure,” he added. Borquez said that while Chile remained open to trade and investment from China, authorities in Santiago appeared to be exercising greater caution about partnerships that could raise national security concerns.

China’s observatory in Chile in doubt as US raises concerns about potential military use

Washington’s unease over ‘low-orbit satellites’ deployment could scuttle US$80 million project for Beijing’s astronomical research institute