China has launched its 43rd Antarctic scientific expedition, with a departure ceremony held in Sanya, in the southern province of Hainan, on Saturday. Organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the mission will upgrade China's polar research stations and logistics network and carry out comprehensive multidisciplinary surveys and monitoring in Antarctica. More than 600 team members from over 100 domestic institutions are taking part, and the team is expected to return to China in April 2027.

Three ships and a new station to finish

The expedition is supported by the icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2, along with the research vessel Dayang. Its scientific agenda covers physical oceanography, marine biology and atmospheric studies, among other fields. A key task for the mission is finalising the construction and formal inspection of Qinling Station, which became China's fifth Antarctic research station when it opened in February 2024. The previous, 42nd expedition focused on building Qinling Station's supporting facilities and equipment.

International research partners on board

China is carrying out parts of the expedition's research together with partners including Norway, Chile, Bulgaria, Thailand, France, Belgium and Portugal, working on Antarctic ice, geology and the polar environment. Like the United States, China has been expanding its presence in Antarctica and the Arctic to explore polar resources and strengthen its scientific footing. China is a party to the Antarctic Treaty, which designates the continent as a scientific preserve open to research and bans military activity there.

[Source: People's Daily Online (Xinhua)](https://peoplesdaily.pdnews.cn/china/er/30053509888) | [Source: Travel and Tour World](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/a9a6j437g7zw/)