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A deepening U.S.-China rivalry has reached the remote skies of the Andes, with the Biden administration increasing pressure on Argentina and Chile to cancel two Chinese projects to build radio telescopes. The move, described as a modern-day implementation of the Monroe Doctrine, is aimed at preventing Beijing from using the installations to track U.S. satellites or communicate with its own.
According to officials familiar with the situation, the campaign to block the Chinese projects gained momentum under the Trump presidency and continued under its successor. This push, driven by a desire to counter China’s growing influence in Latin America, has yielded initial results, at least in Argentina. The country’s newly elected president, Javier Milei, has significantly cooled his previous cordial stance towards China, despite the nation’s deep economic ties to the Asian giant.
Notably, China is Argentina’s second-largest trading partner after Brazil, and Beijing has invested heavily in Argentine mining and infrastructure projects. The two nations have an extensive energy and trade partnership, with Chinese investment in the country’s oil industry, for example, being substantial.
Moreover, in an effort to further limit Argentina’s space cooperation with Beijing, a U.S.-Argentina trade agreement signed under the Biden administration includes specific language that restricts any bilateral collaboration in the field of space.
Chile’s stance on the matter is less clear-cut. Although Santiago has yet to take a definitive position, experts warn that the country could potentially be next in line to resist mounting U.S. pressure.
China has dismissed U.S. concerns as baseless and unjustified, labeling the actions an example of “Washington’s hegemonism” and “ridiculous” national behavior. This counter-criticism from Beijing further underscores the tense standoff unfolding in the skies of South America.
A recent statement from a Chinese government spokesperson emphasized the U.S. hypocrisy in operating its own observational facilities across the region. “Beijing cannot help but wonder what exactly the U.S. is so afraid of,” the spokesperson said.
This escalation of U.S.-China tensions in the southern hemisphere has serious implications for the balance of international power. As tensions rise, Washington and Beijing’s rivalry for influence in this strategic region is only set to grow more intense, potentially affecting not only South America but global affairs as well.
Chinese officials say this aggressive push by the U.S. could prompt them to reconsider their cooperation with regional partners on future space-based projects. This move, if taken, could create long-lasting divisions among nations already grappling with their place within an increasingly complex global landscape.
Washington has argued that halting these projects is in line with U.S. national security interests, as well as its long-standing strategy to counter the threat posed by a rapidly growing China across the Americas.