Society

Chinese state councilor visits Antarctica

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-27 13:15

KING GEORGE ISLAND, Antarctica - China attaches great importance to polar research and will continue cooperating with other parties to conduct peaceful polar explorations, Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong has said on this Antarctic island.

Antarctica is closely related to human existence, and polar research holds critical significance to understanding the planet and promoting peaceful human development, Liu told researchers during her visit to the Great Wall Station starting Saturday.

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As a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty, China is committed as always to performing scientific research within the framework of the treaty and broadening international cooperation in order to effectively preserve the Antarctic ecological environment, guarantee the peaceful theme of polar research and protect the common benefit of mankind, she stressed.

Polar research is an important ingredient of China's scientific and technological programs, the state councilor said, adding that the establishment of the Great Wall Station, the first Chinese research station in Antarctica, demonstrated China's resolution to protect the living environment and construct the common homeland of humanity.

Conveying festive greetings to Chinese polar researchers, Liu highly appreciated their huge sacrifices for China's scientific research and their remarkable achievements, encouraging them to build on past accomplishments and make more contributions.

During her stay, she also visited some foreign research stations and extended greetings to researchers there on behalf of the Chinese people and government.