BEIJING, November 3, 2025 — China has dispatched its 42nd Antarctic expedition, commencing a seven-month mission highlighted by the country’s first-ever scientific drilling into the continent’s deep inland subglacial lakes. The endeavor marks a significant expansion of China’s polar research capabilities and strategic presence on the icy continent.
The expedition team, consisting of over 500 members, set sail from Shanghai supported by the polar research icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2. The primary scientific objective involves performing clean drilling and sampling operations through more than 3,000 meters of thick ice, targeting deep inland lakes that host unique, isolated ecosystems.
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According to Wei Fuhai, the leader and chief scientist of the mission, the team will utilize domestically built hot-water and thermal-melting drill systems. The data collected from these pristine environments is intended to provide critical long-term records for understanding global climate change, the history of the Antarctic ice sheet, and the evolution of life.
In addition to deep-ice drilling, the team will continue to advance the development of China’s fifth research station, Qinling Station, which became operational last year. Tasks include optimizing support facilities, the communications network, and testing advanced, domestically produced equipment such as the station’s hybrid energy system and specialized polar vehicles.
While the mission is strictly defined as scientific, with researchers also focusing on collecting observational records in key regions like the Amundsen and Ross Seas, it also aims to “continuously enhancing our ability to understand, protect, and utilize Antarctica,” according to Deputy Expedition Leader Long Wei. China, which signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1983, maintains that its activities are in full compliance with the pact, which designates the continent as a natural reserve and prohibits commercial resource extraction.
The expedition, which includes researchers from over 10 countries, is scheduled to conclude its mission and return to China in May 2026.