Chinese scientists set out from Shanghai on October 25 for
China's 21st expedition to Antarctica, hoping to make it to the
summit of Dome A, the highest point on the ice-covered continent.
Located deep in the Antarctic interior, Dome A has a reputation for
being dangerously inaccessible, and if the expedition is successful
China will be the first country to enter the area by land.
This is the ninth trip to the southern polar region for the
Xuelong (Snow Dragon), China's Antarctic
expedition ship. It is carrying a team that is undertaking the most
difficult mission to date in the frigid land.
Since Deng Xiaoping wrote an inscription for China's first
Antarctic expedition in 1984 -- "To make due contributions for the
peaceful use of the polar areas" -- the nation has made substantial
advances in research and exploration of the region.
China now has two stations, Great Wall and Zhongshan, as well as
its icebreaker, the Xuelong.
"Through 20 years of effort, China has made great progress in
building scientific teams and observation and logistics support.
Its achievements have been acknowledged by counterparts around the
world," said Wei Wenliang, vice director of polar research for the
State Oceanic Administration (SOA). Wei has led expedition and
research teams to Antarctica eight times.
Although China was a latecomer to Antarctic research -- dozens
of years behind more developed countries -- it first began to
develop its Antarctic strategy in the early 1960s.
When the SOA was established in 1966, it received a mandate to
begin its work in Antarctica "at the proper time."
In 1983, the National
People's Congress, China's top legislature, passed a resolution
to join the Antarctic Treaty as a formal member country. A year
later, the country drew up its 12-year plan for expeditions to the
region, to be undertaken according to the development of the
nation's economy.
In February 1985, the Great Wall Station was opened on King
George Island, one of the South Shetland Islands in western
Antarctica. Located at the 62 degrees south latitude, the station
didn't make it into the polar circle. "When we built the station,
China was not yet capable of building on the coastal Antarctic
continent," recalled Wei.
Zhongshan Station, opened in January 1989, is on the continent,
the eastern sector at the Larsemann Hills. "When China set up a
station on the continent, it was entitled to become a negotiating
country of the Antarctic Treaty, having a say in decisions related
to Antarctic affairs," Wei said.
Over the years, China has steadily increased its investment in
Antarctic research. The country spent 20 million yuan (US$2.4
million) on the first expedition, and now maintenance fees alone
are 40 to 50 million yuan (US$4.8 to 6.0 million) annually. On top
of that, China bought its expedition ships, established the Polar
Research Institute in 1989 and built the Polar Research Center,
which opened in September 2003.
From 2005 to 2010, China plans to spend 500 million (US$60
million) on renovating the Great Wall and Zhongshan stations. A
domestic base for polar research will be built in Shanghai, and
observation stations in both the Arctic and Antarctic will be
renovated and expanded.
Three generations of Polar ships
The Xiangyanghong 10 was China's first Antarctic
exploration vessel. Built by China primarily for general oceanic
investigation, it was used for only one expedition -- to build the
Great Wall Station -- because it was not made to sail in ice. It
has now been renamed the Yuanwang 4 and is used to receive
satellite signals.
China purchased its first icegoing ship, the Jidi, from
Finland. A supply transport vessel, it could navigate a field of
floating ice but was not an icebreaker. After six years in service,
the Jidi was decommissioned.
The Xuelong is China's first icebreaker. Built in
Ukraine in 1993, it is capable of breaking ice 1.2 meters thick
while advancing at a speed of 3 knots. China spent 31 million yuan
(US$3.7 million) to convert it into a transport ship for Antarctic
expeditions. It replaced the Jidi in 1994 and has remained
in service ever since.
With proper maintenance, the Xuelong can serve for 30
years. After the expedition to Dome A, the Xuelong will
bid a temporary farewell to the ice to go into dry dock for a
thorough makeover. Nearly 200 million yuan (US$24 million) will be
spent on enlarging the laboratory and increasing high-end
facilities as well as expanding fuel tanks and other upgrades. It
will also be equipped with helicopter.
Advances in Antarctica
Among the most spectacular of China's findings in the polar
region were the meteorites retrieved from the Grove Mountains. Two
of the 4,800 meteorites Chinese scientists have examined from the
area are believed to have traveled here from Mars, providing
original study material for astronomers.
China frequently participates in international exchanges on
Antarctic studies. Information on the region is open, and sharing
of resources very helpful to developing countries, according to
Wei. Those seeking to join the Antarctic Treaty now have many
additional requirements, such as agreeing to protect the
environment and wildlife, that make it more difficult to set up an
observation station.
Polar research has become a hot topic in the international
scientific community. The peculiar geographic positions and the
unique natural environments of the poles provide ideal locations to
study evolution and global climate changes. With China's scientific
research elevated to a new high, China will be more active in polar
research, mainly on environmental issues.
Although there are 47 signatory countries to the Antarctic
Treaty, fewer than half of them have established stations and only
a handful conduct regular expeditions. "China is one of them," said
Wei Wenliang, "and now we are capable of launching a challenge on
Dome A, the highest point on the continent. If we are developing in
such a speed, we will soon catch up the developed countries."
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, November 3, 2004 )
