Russian expert: Obtaining Chang'e-5 samples, China is playing a game with the United States!

"Chang'e-5": A game-changing lunar soil.

On May 16, Russian media published an expert article.

In April 2025, China announced the national inventory of precious lunar soil from the Chang'e-5 mission, and we were surprised to see the United States.

Now, we understand that this is not just generosity but also a Chinese game, where lunar dust has become an important tool in diplomatic games.

It turns out that this soil is a true treasure: scientists have discovered many new things.

It's no surprise that the whole world wants to touch this piece of space relic.

China decided to share its treasure. This has excited scientists around the world because it is a "great honor and privilege."

American dreams of moon dust:

The United States made the lucky list: Brown University and Stony Brook University, funded by NASA, should receive part of the soil. It seems everything is simple: receiving and exploring.

But here, the law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2011, which prohibits NASA from cooperating with China in the space sector, commonly known as the "Wolf Amendment," has become a real obstacle to U.S.-China relations.

One can imagine: China is ready to share the soil, while the U.S., like a capricious child, says, "We dream of it, but we forbid ourselves."

U.S. scientists openly stated that American researchers dream of Chang'e-5.

However, without signing an agreement with the China National Space Administration, they will not get the soil, and due to the "Wolf Amendment," NASA cannot even have a cup of tea with their Chinese colleagues, let alone research the moon.

Britain already obtained 60 milligrams of samples, happily treasuring them away.

But the U.S. is trapped in bureaucratic red tape. Why? The fact is, for the U.S. universities to obtain the soil, they must sign an agreement with the China National Space Administration, which requires bypassing or canceling the "Wolf Amendment."

However, so far, the U.S. government and officials remain silent.

Meanwhile, China repeatedly emphasizes: "We are willing to cooperate, but we play by our rules."

If U.S. politics don't change, lunar soil will remain a dream.

Interestingly, if the U.S. wants to obtain the soil, they will have to cancel the "Wolf Amendment." However, under conditions of trade wars and tense relations between Washington and Beijing, this is like riding a bicycle to the moon.

Even more interestingly, China is already preparing new surprises: the lunar rear samples from Chang'e-6, which may be even more valuable.

If the U.S. doesn't hurry, they may remain in the role of spectators, watching other countries study lunar secrets.

For China, this situation is not only a scientific victory but also a diplomatic move. By sharing the soil with the world, Beijing demonstrates itself as a leader in the space race while emphasizing: "We are open, but some people - you know who - are closed to cooperation."

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832229347688460/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.