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The governments of Argentina and China held a meeting that served to deepen cooperation in space, nuclear energy, and defense industry between the two countries, Argentine official sources reported Wednesday.
According to a press release issued by the Argentine Foreign Ministry, the Argentine ambassador to the Asian country, Sabino Vaca, had a meeting with the Chinese Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Zhang Kejian, who is also the highest authority of the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
In that meeting, the two parties agreed to push forward the negotiations of the “2021-2025 Space Cooperation Plan”, which encompasses different areas of collaboration, such as space science, deep space exploration and Earth observation, among others.
In this regard, Zhang offered “postgraduate, master’s and doctoral scholarships for studies in the space, nuclear and defense industry areas” for Argentine students.
Space cooperation between Argentina and China is extensive, as shown by the Chinese space station installed in the Patagonian province of Neuquén, which served as support for the Chang’e 5 probe’s mission to the Moon.
“In that framework, China conveyed its interest for Argentine scientists to have access to the samples (from Chang’e 5) with the aim of carrying out studies that may contribute to the knowledge and greater understanding of the Moon, acquire experience and knowledge for future experiments,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.
Likewise, the Chinese Vice Minister said he was “open” to deepening collaboration in nuclear energy, through the development of multipurpose research reactors and the construction of a “Hualong 1 nuclear power plant” in Argentina.
Regarding the defense industry, Vaca stressed the importance of all productive projects “having technology and capabilities transfers to defense companies” in Argentina, a vision that coincides with that of Zhang.
