Antarctica: the Chinese extend their influence on the sea ice

From the start of the 43^e meeting of the Antarctic Treaty, which takes place until June 24 in Paris and brings together its 54 member countries, China has made its own. “They asked us to shift the hours of discussions a little, which take place at night at home, and proposed a new formulation of a diplomatic text on the climate which had already been discussed with them. We will find an agreement on these points. But it shows that China wants to influence decisions», Explains a French negotiator. For sixty years, the white continent has been a space devoted to science and peace. But Beijing is using Antarctica to prove its power, especially scientific, and to influence international negotiations.

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“Contrary to the provisions of the Madrid Protocol (which governs the impacts on the environment, Editor’s note), China has started construction of its fifth science base on Inexpressible Island, in Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea, before submitting