In an unusual U.S. move earlier this month, NASA had received permission to request from China lunar samples it had brought back from the Moon. NASA had to clear the request because of the racist Wolf Amendment (2011) that forbids U.S. cooperation with the Chinese manned space program.
China replied positively to the idea today, but with a clear indication that they expect reciprocity from the U.S., with a spokesman for the China National Space Administration urging “far-sighted people in the U.S.” to work to eliminate the Wolf Amendment. In an exclusive interview with China Daily on Dec. 21, CNSA’s Xu Hongliang said: “China has never made any law, regulation or clause that prohibits cooperation with the U.S. on space exploration. We place great attention on international space cooperation and we are always open to exchanges and communication with the U.S. in this regard.”
Xu said that China “welcomes people of the international science community, including those from the U.S., who have applied, or intend to apply,” for the use of its lunar samples in accordance with its application rules and “through appropriate means.” Xu said it is truly confusing why at a time when the U.S. is seeking to apply for China’s lunar samples, “some people on the U.S. side continue to show their fervid fondness for the Wolf Amendment.”
In a Dec. 12 speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, that sorry excuse for a U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said that he didn’t believe “the Chinese have shown much of an interest in working with the U.S.” in space. He is either totally out of the loop on this issue, or is just plain lying. Knowing Nick, it is probably the latter.
