China is working on the construction plan for a third research
station on the South Pole, said Sun Zhihui, director of the State
Oceanic Administration (SOA) Wednesday.
Speaking at a SOA meeting, Sun stressed the need to enhance
China's competitiveness in the exploration of polar region and
ocean. So far, the name of the new research station is still
undecided.
The international community has named this year as the
"International Polar Year (IPY) 2007/2008 which runs from March 1,
2007, to March 1, 2008. "China should seize the opportunity brought
by the event to carry out wide-ranging international cooperation in
the field of polar region exploration," Sun said.
It will be the first time China has participated in IPY
activities.
Sun vowed to continue supporting scientific research at the
South Pole and North Pole, and organizing study on strategy of
polar region exploration and polar region laws.
According to him, the Chinese government last year approved to
invest 520 million yuan (around US$65 million) in polar region
scientific research. China has launched 22 Antarctic expeditions
since 1984 and built two permanent exploration stations named
Changcheng (Great Wall) and Zhongshan.
They were both located at the border district of the
Antarctica.
Sun revealed that China's third work station at the South Pole
will be located at the hinterland of the Antarctica.
It now possesses nearly 10,000 Antarctic aerolites including the
priceless Lunar and Martian aerolites, the third largest collection
in the world.
China has also carried out two arctic expeditions and built the
Huanghe (Yellow River) exploration station in the Arctic in July
2004.
IPY 2007-2008, to be launched by the International Council for
Science (ICSU) in conjunction with the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO), is the fourth since the first joint polar
expedition was organized in 1882/1883.
Experts indicated that the Antarctica at the South Pole is the
5th largest continent with the highest altitude. Despite the cold
weather and storm snow, it has rich mine and energy resources.
(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2007)