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- Source/Fengyashuo
- Author/Feng Yashuo
On September 14, 2023, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who visited China for the fifth time, publicly stated that they would send their own astronauts and Chinese astronauts to board China's manned spacecraft in the future to do lunar research.
As soon as this news was released, it instantly attracted global attention. After all, there are only a handful of countries in the world today that have mature moon landing technology. Venezuela can become the first American country to participate in the lunar landing project, and the speed of future space development must be self-evident.
According to a reporter from the Central Radio Network, Venezuelan astronauts will receive systematic professional training in China in the future. This decision has been jointly approved and promoted by China and Venezuela. So why does Venezuela qualify for cooperation with China? And what kind of aerospace advantages do they have?
Although China started late in the field of space, we have gradually followed in the footsteps of the United States and Russia and become the third most powerful country in the world in space. During Maduro's visit to China, the Joint Statement on Strategic Partners signed by the two sides injected a shot in the arm for bilateral relations and future space development between China and Venezuela.
Some people may be shocked, how can this little-known American country suddenly qualify to participate in such an important event with China. In fact, as early as April 2021, China and Venezuela finalized plans related to lunar research.
At that time, China took the lead in issuing an invitation to Venezuela to join the construction of the Sino-Russian lunar scientific research station. After friendly discussions between the two sides, China and Venezuela formally signed a cooperation agreement in July of the same year. Until September this year, Maduro came to China again, reiterating the important support and assistance provided by the mainland in Venezuela's exploration of the field of space.
Many people dispute this. They believe that Venezuela is an economically backward country and that it is a distant dream to go to the field of space. The most important task of Venezuela at present should be down-to-earth economic development.
When it comes to Venezuela's cooperation with China, there is a lot of meaning in it.
First, the history of cooperation and diplomacy between China and Venezuela can be traced back to the mid-to-late 20th century. Before joining the WTO, the mainland formally established diplomatic relations with Venezuela in June 1974. Over the years, the in-depth exchanges between the two countries have covered many fields such as economy and culture.
Economically, the mainland exports chemical, mechanical and electrical products to Venezuela, and Venezuela gives priority to importing precious petroleum resources from us. While the economies of the two sides have been vigorously promoted, there have also been further cooperation in manufacturing, agriculture, animal husbandry, culture and education. The Confucius Institute, which marked the development of Chinese literature, was also completed as early as Venezuela.
China and Venezuela will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2024. Looking back at the long ups and downs experienced in the past, no matter how complicated the internal and military changes of Venezuela, the mainland believes in and adheres to the future development of Venezuela. It is precisely on the basis of years of mutual trust and assistance between the two sides that China extended an olive branch to this old friend for joint lunar exploration and cooperation.
Second, Venezuela has been in the difficult position of being severely sanctioned by the United States. Before 2020, the United States had already taken action against Venezuela. They not only froze most of the assets of Venezuelan politicians in the United States, but also interfered in Venezuela's internal affairs many times. Relations between Venezuela and the United States are also in a stage of gradual deterioration.
At the same time, Venezuela has never flattered the United States, which is a clear current among South American countries. To sum up, China's olive branch of lunar scientific research thrown by Venezuela is undoubtedly to save Venezuela from fire and water.
On the other hand, as long as Venezuela can formally reach cooperation with China in space, it can take the lead in stimulating its own economic development. According to the Associated Press, in the next 30 years, countries around the world participating in the development of lunar resources will be able to acquire assets far exceeding trillions of dollars. And this ticket to the moon that Venezuela got is completely the golden key to unlock wealth.
As for China's shift to Venezuela, a very important reason is Venezuela's naturally superior geographical location. Venezuela is mostly plain open areas, but also in the equatorial region at very low latitudes. Whether it is to build a geo-lunar measuring station or test the conditions for rocket launch, it is the best choice for South American countries.
According to the plan of China and Russia to jointly build a lunar scientific research station and the cooperation agreement between China and Venezuela, Venezuela has promised to assist the mainland in establishing a rocket monitoring and control station and expand the global monitoring and control network system of the lunar spacecraft with China and Russia. In this way, the cooperation between the mainland and Venezuela is a win-win situation for aerospace science and technology and economic development.
As for the deepening of cooperation between China and Russia and Venezuela, the United States has long been ready to move. It has not only joined hands with Japan, Israel and other countries to discuss lunar resource development cooperation and other matters with high profile, but also continued to engage in internal affairs of Venezuela. However, as long as China, Russia and other developing countries unite and cooperate to resist US sanctions, their so-called hegemonic status will also be shaken.
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