CHINA'S James Bond villain-style Antarctic "research station" could be used to gather intelligence on the West, experts have claimed.
Construction of the 5,244sqm facility, which can house as many as 80 people year-round, was overseen by China's top military command.
Situated on Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, the remote Qinling Station is China’s fifth Antarctic base and its third capable of operating year-round.
According to China's Foreign Ministry, the facility - which is believed to include an observatory with a satellite ground station - will be used to enhance "humanity's scientific knowledge of Antarctica".
New footage shot on February 7, the day the outpost was named and opened, showed tens of workers standing outside the base wearing red and black winter clothing.
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The station was shown to be separated into three areas with a central common room for dining and working purposes.
Spacious winter dormitories equipped with the essentials - including beds, reading lights, tables, shelving, and plug sockets - are on the station's second floor.
The entire complex was designed in the shape of the Southern Cross constellation in honour of Chinese mariner Zheng He, who used the constellation for navigation during his voyages to the Western Seas - but also resembles a lair fit for a James Bond villain.
Despite the insistence that the base has no military function and was built for scientific purposes, some analysts have warned its capabilities are "inherently dual-use".
The construction of Qinling was overseen by the Central Military Commission, China's highest national defence organisation.
Its position, near the US McMurdo Station and just south of Australia, raised fears that China could "collect signals intelligence" from Australia and New Zealand.
In response to such concerns, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the base was built and now operates "in full compliance with international rules and procedures".
A Centre for Strategic and International Studies report published last April asserted it may be able to gather "telemetry data on rockets launching from newly established space facilities in both countries".
The report alleged: "While the station can provide tracking and communications for China’s growing array of scientific polar observation satellites, its equipment can concurrently be used for intercepting other nations’ satellite communications."
Satellite images of the project last year indicated that construction of new support facilities, smaller buildings, a helicopter pad, and a larger main building was underway.
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It is understood Qinling also has a wharf for China's Xuelong icebreaker ships and an observatory with a satellite ground station.
The base was said to "fill in a major gap" when it came to China's ability to access the continent.
Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS, said China viewed Antarctica as part of the "strategic frontiers" and could use Qinling "for military or intelligence gathering purposes".
He told US news outlet VOA: "Since it is an area that is further from China’s immediate periphery, Beijing wants to be on the cutting edge and be perceived as a global leader that’s on par with the US."
China's decision to build five scientific research bases aligned with its long-term goal of having a voice in Antarctic governance, he claimed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping first revealed his plans to "better know, protect, and utilise the polar region" nearly a decade ago.
Foundations for the base were first laid in 2018, but progress stalled in the years that followed.
China reported that the station started operation on February 7.
