As Earth’s southernmost continent, Antarctica lives by norms of its own. It is a de facto condominium over which seven sovereign states maintain territorial claims, but that is governed by a multilateral Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). China’s growing interests in the “White Continent” have spurred responses from the actors that have much at stake in Antarctica, such as Australia, Brazil and Russia, as well as the European Union. These actors conduct joint activities on Antarctica's harsh land in the fields of tourism and scientific research. Which are the specific interests of these powers? What is the geopolitical status of the continent? And what’s in store for one of the last sanctuaries left on Earth?
