Construction of China's fifth base in the Antarctic worries west

Members of the Chinese Antarctica Research Team on the polar expedition ship Xuelong back in 2017. AP - Zhang Zongtang

For the first time since 2018, China is increasing its Antarctic footprint. A Washington-based think tank says Beijing has resumed construction of its fifth station at the South Pole, worrying western governments.

According to the report "Frozen Frontiers – China’s great power ambitions in the polar regions," published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) China “has undertaken ambitious expeditions and developed world-class facilities” that serve “to advance China’s broader strategic and military interests.”