MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

China shares all data from base in Argentine Patagonia, ambassador says

“Argentina is a very important partner for the United States, that is why I am here,” explained Gen. Richardson

Argentina's Ambassador to Beijing Sabino Vaca Narvaja said China shared all the information on the space program with Argentina. His remarks came after US Southern Command Chief, Gen. Laura Richardson, expressed her concerns over the space station the Asian nation runs near the town of Bajada del Agrio in the province of Neuquén.

Vaca Narvaja made those statements during his virtual participation in the Third Official Teleconference between authorities of the National Commission of Special Activities (Conae) and the Chinese Satellite Navigation Office (CSNO).

Both entities acknowledged progress had been achieved in cooperation regarding satellite navigation and other “scientific exchanges,” including “cooperating in satellite images and the BeiDou satellite navigation system,” Vaca Narvaja explained.

“We have access to the analysis of lunar samples and they share with us all the information of the space program,” the diplomat added. He also underlined “the importance of these agreements” for the development of the country's potential in this area, in reference to the Neuquén Base and also to the ESA Deep Space Base (DSA3) the European Space Agency (ESA) has in Malargüe, in the province of Mendoza, following an understanding with the European Union which dates back to 2002.

Vaca Narvaja also praised the success of China's Chang'e 5 Mission, which in 2020 completed its three exploration phases, making the Asian country the third nation to obtain lunar samples for study in a mission that was supported by the European Union and Argentina, among other countries.

The Ambassador also underlined that the agreement between Conae and CSNO was signed last February during Argentine President Alberto Fernández's official visit to the People's Republic of China.

Neuquén's Deep Space Base was visited earlier this month by Science Minister Daniel Filmus, Vaca Narvaja recalled.

General Richardson warned about Chinese and Russian deployments in the region, with a special focus on their “illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing” in the South Atlantic, which “is absolutely linked to China,” explained Richardson who added that “it has meant a lot to get to know the country and to see how passionate Argentines are about their land.”

The four-star general also pointed out that “Argentina's Armed Forces are trying to modernize and we are in a similar process. We want to modernize, to be up to date with technology. I am a helicopter pilot and I can say that we still have helicopters, tanks and vehicles in general that are many years old. It is true that we update them with technology, but the updates have a limit and there comes a certain point when you have to incorporate something new.”

“There is also the challenge of maintaining all the equipment until the transition to new is made. It's no easy task and can be very costly, if not done correctly,” she added.

Regarding supplying Argentina with military equipment, Richardson said that she had offered Argentine authorities the chance to “go to the United States to visit the factories where we make helicopters or attack vehicles, for example, so they can see the products and we can do demonstrations.”

“I congratulated [Argentine Joint Armed Forces Chief] General [Juan Martín] Paleo and [Defense] Minister [Jorge] Taiana, because it is very important to have a road map with the objectives that one wants for the Armed Forces. As you can see with what is happening with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President [Joseph] Biden strongly believes in working with allies and partners, and Argentina is a very important partner for the United States, that is why I am here.”