Executive Summary

China’s global network of dual-use facilities increases its strategic influence, fostering economic dependency and raising significant security concerns. The latest example of this stems from Chile’s Atacama Desert, where the construction of China’s new Ventarrones Observatory has raised questions about whether the facility is solely intended for civilian, scientific benefit. The observatory will mark the fifth overseas node in China’s global sky-facing surveillance network, designed to “fully scan” the entire Southern and Northern Hemisphere heavens every half hour, aligning with China’s “national strategic needs.” This observatory represents one of China’s most recent efforts to establish itself as a space superpower. It serves as a key component in China’s broader strategy to assert dominance in critical technologies, enhance strategic leverage, and foster economic dependencies through the global expansion of dual-use infrastructure.

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