China and Russia announced in March 2025 separate but coordinated plans to strengthen and expand their presence in Antarctica. That same month, the United States announced cuts to funding to operate its flagship South Pole station. While the United States retains the most important geopolitical spot in the region (the South Pole) due to having the largest presence and greatest logistical capacity, U.S. funding decisions could quickly reverse that to the detriment of U.S. national interests.
China and Russia: On-Ice Collaboration
In their March statements, Russia and China separately announced plans to modernize and build new stations near each other in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. China announced it would build and operate a new station with capacity for 25 people at Cox Point, to be completed in 2027. A mere 11 miles away, at Cape Burkes, is the existing Russian station, Russkaya. The Russian announcement said it would not only reopen and modernize the Russkaya station (which has been closed since 1990) and build a new station, but would also build a runway for long-haul aircraft.
The timing of the announcements and the locations of the stations makes it highly probable that China and Russia have entered an active new phase of close collaboration in the Antarctica region to complement their collaboration in the governance of Antarctica.
Per the Antarctic Treaty and its related agreements, China and Russia are allowed to build stations where they chose in the region, as there is no sovereign territory in Antarctica and no international bureaucracy that must approve potential actions in the region. Countries must, however, comply with certain rules that promote transparency and environmental standards before, during, and after construction of stations. China has already submitted its draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation for its proposed sixth station; Russia, which regularly provides updates to treaty parties on its operations in the region, will likely report on its own plans for the Russkaya reopening and modernization and the new station and airfield at the annual meeting of Antarctic Treaty parties. Additionally, countries are encouraged to cooperate in the region so as to minimize the human impact on Antarctica’s environment and to support human endeavors, particularly in case of emergencies.
This coordinated joint endeavor in Marie Byrd Land likely developed out of close collaboration between China and Russia on the opposite side of the continent, in the Larsemann Hills region. The Russian Progress II and Chinese Zhongshan stations are close to each other, along with the Indian Bharati and Australian Law stations. Similar to the plans for Marie Byrd Land, Russia operates an airfield in the Larsemann Hills area. China and Russia recently announced the successful completion of a joint deep glacier drilling in the area. All four countries collaborate to manage the shared Larsemann Hills area through an Antarctic Specially Managed Area. This is to say that China and Russia are doing nothing illegal by cooperating in Antarctica, but even legal activities could challenge U.S. national interests.
The Importance of Stations
Due to its inhospitable climate, Antarctica has never had any indigenous population and is incapable of supporting human life without outside supplies. However, since 1904, countries have consistently borne the costs of supporting a small number of people living year-round in this frozen region. Governments do so not out of altruism or misuse of funds but to advance national interests, which range from claiming sovereignty, promoting peace, searching for economic opportunities, and advancing scientific research.
Man-made stations are oases of life in Antarctica that facilitate science and other peaceful activities in the region. These stations can range from nothing grander than a single double-wide trailer (albeit with lots of insulation) to a collection of architectural and engineering marvels to meet the needs of hundreds of people. Countries report information on the stations to the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs and the Antarctic Treaty secretariat to comply with treaty transparency requirements and facilitate collaboration in the region, including for emergency situations. There are around 80 year-round and seasonal stations in Antarctica, mainly along the coast where resupplying these stations is most efficient. All stations, including the equipment located there, are subject to unannounced inspections per the terms of Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty. The United States has conducted the most unannounced inspections of any country, but has not done one since February 2020, when it inspected three stations, one airfield, and one specially protected area in the Ross Sea region.
Argentina has the most year-round and seasonal stations, with 13 outposts ranging from 12 to 147 people, followed by Chile with 11 stations ranging in size from 4 to 150 beds. Other programs with a sizable footprint in Antarctica include Australia (five stations from 8 to 91 beds), France (four stations from 16 to 100 people), Italy (three stations from 20 to 130 people), Korea (three stations from 78 to 130 people), and the United Kingdom (nine stations from 4 to 168 people).
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