(Reuters) – New Zealand said on Saturday its Antarctic agency has signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute to promote cooperation between the two polar science bodies, amid China’s growing presence in Antarctica.
“Antarctica is of increasing geostrategic and scientific importance, and this arrangement will broaden links between our marine and polar science institutions,” said the New Zealand Foreign Minister. Winston Peters said in a press release.
Peters and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock witnessed the signing of the MOU in Auckland during an official visit to New Zealand, the press release said.
The deal comes after New Zealand said in February it was reconsidering a proposed overhaul of its decades-old base in Antarctica after talks with a construction company stalled. In 2019, New Zealand announced plans to renew the base, but since then expected costs have risen by more than 50%.
Antarctica, directly south of New Zealand and Australia, is becoming increasingly crowded and China is opening its fifth research base there in February. Western governments are concerned that China’s increased presence in Antarctica and the Arctic could provide the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with better surveillance capabilities.
The Alfred Wegener Institute is the largest scientific organization in Germany and coordinates Germany’s polar research efforts, according to its website.
(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Sam Holmes)
