• China is building Antarctic bases inside Australia’s claim. We don't know why
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-30/china-in-antarctica-inspection-regime/10858486 The Antarctic Treaty System bars military activity or mineral exploration and it is up to scientists like Nicholas Gales to ensure their neighbours are doing as they should. His goal that day was to complete the first inspection of the remote American base at the South Pole by a nation unaided by the Americans themselves... ...While getting to the South Pole was an achievement, of perhaps greater significance was the base Dr Gales didn’t visit. “We were going to undertake an inspection of another country on the way through, one of the Chinese bases, but it was not operating from there during that summer.” All up, China’s most audaciously located station — at the high point of Antarctica’s vast ice sheet at the heart of Australian Antarctic Territory — has seen 10 summers. This is a decade marked by incredible expansion of Chinese activity. Yet this station, as well as one another Chinese base within Australia’s claim, have never been inspected. Many are saying it’s time for a check-up. Really good article with some interactive parts. I definitely suggest giving it a read. China pls go
I thought country claims to Antarctica were invalid anyway
I remember reading an analysis from some geopolitics guy talking about how if we want to keep our Antarctic claim we're going to have to be a whole lot more proactive about it. China (and others) are eyeing those mineral and energy claims. We may even have to exploit those resources ourselves to pay for it if need be. You can guarantee China won't give two shits about the environment when it comes to it.
I like the super futuristic artist rendering that has absolutely nothing to do with the article and has no basis in reality.
So why don't we do something about them
Australian troops confiscating both stations sounds like a nice idea.
It would need military force, a big no-no under the treaty. You might be able to pass it off as police action though. Either way, the Chinese are clearly trying to stake their claim before the treaty expires.
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/638/ebf5b397-037b-4b69-b018-e0dc0afd90e1/image.png I mean it's probably going to not look anything like that, but it mentions why it's there later in the article.
That terrain looks almost exactly like the characteristic output of Terragen, with shit photoshopped in. Not that that's a terrible thing to do for what is essentially concept art.
Let's just invade China then
Yeah sounds like a nice idea. A fantasy. The only people Australia intimidates are small south east asian nations.
Or pay for it with literally any other means
You're not convincing anyone to spend billions of dollars per year on Antarctic defence just for conservation purposes.
It is despicable that we would turn to destroying an area in order to "protect it" from someone else. That's not something that should even be on the table. We're already destroying the area badly enough.
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