Great-Power Competition Invades Antarctica
Source: foreignaffairs.com
- Great power competition between the US, China, and Russia is heating up in Antarctica, challenging its status as a peaceful scientific zone.
- China has built its fifth research station and plans two more, while Russia and China oppose new restrictions on military activities there.
- Without US leadership, Antarctica risks becoming a strategic battleground like the Arctic, threatening its treaty protections.
The article examines how intensifying rivalry among major powers is encroaching on Antarctica, traditionally a demilitarized continent dedicated to science under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Key players include the United States, which holds a veto on the treaty's 29-member decision-making body called the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs), China and Russia, which are expanding their presence, and smaller nations pushing for stricter environmental and military rules. The core argument i