Chinese icebreaker Xuelong 2, currently docked in Thailand for a visit on its return voyage from Antarctica, has set a record of performing the longest single-ship mission in the history of China's Antarctic expeditions.
Xuelong 2 set off for the 41st Chinese Antarctic expedition from south China's Guangzhou on November 1, 2024. It has been on the mission for over seven months and sailed a total of more than 30,000 nautical miles for the Antarctic expedition.
Xiao Zhimin, Xuelong 2's captain, said the ship's long Antarctic voyage could be divided into five phases.
"The first phase began on November 1, 2024, with the departure from Guangzhou, heading toward Antarctica. After it performed icebreaking and pilotage for Xuelong and and completed goods and personnel transfer to the Zhongshan Station, it left the station in early December. The second phase started with the sailing from the Zhongshan Station to the Ross Sea, where we broke ice and navigated for the cargo ship Yongsheng, before we sailed on to the Qinling Station, where we carried out the goods and personnel transfer in late December, when we headed for Lyttelton Port in New Zealand," he said.
The third segment of Xuelong 2's voyage was after it picked up ocean scientific research team members in Lyttelton, it headed for the Amundsen Sea in Antarctica on January 9 this year. In mid-March, it completed the operations in the Amundsen Sea and the Ross Sea and returned to New Zealand for another crew rotation.
In late March, Xuelong 2 entered its fourth phase of the voyage, which is to conduct joint Antarctic autumn expedition in the Ross Sea. After completing this task on April 19, Xuelong 2 formally began its return sailing to China, initiating the fifth and final segment of the journey.
"The entire voyage, from departing the home port to sailing back home, covers a total of over 40,000 nautical miles, crossed the westerlies six times in a total period of more than seven months. It is the longest single-ship mission in the history of China’s Antarctic expeditions," Xiao concluded.
Chinese icebreaker 'Xuelong 2' completes longest single-ship voyage in Antarctic expedition
The 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting will be held from May 22-23 in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, with preliminary consultations and seminars kicking off on Monday.
Multiple consultations have commenced, including discussions on the joint statement to be issued at the meeting and ways to promote cooperation in digital trade.
Additionally, the "Big Market for All: Export to China" Suzhou special event and the Suzhou products promotion event opened Monday.
Experts emphasized that the minister's meeting will play a timely role in advancing regional economic integration and tackling emerging trade challenges through deeper cooperation in digital and green sectors.
"APEC is the highest-level and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. On the 20th anniversary of the vision for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), the 2026 Suzhou APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting will play a positive role in safeguarding the multilateral trading system, stabilizing Asia-Pacific cooperation, and leading global open development, countering the increasingly intensifying wave of trade protectionism," said Yuan Qian, deputy director of the trade and investment research division of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, which is under the administration of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"At the same time, as a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation accelerates, this meeting takes cooperation in emerging areas such as digital and green as important content, better aligning with the trend of global technological innovation and development, countering global economic growth pressures, and opening up new spaces for regional cooperation and development," the expert added.
Terms such as digital economy, electronic bills of lading, and green supply chains appear frequently in the agenda of the APEC trade ministers' meeting.
"Although electronic bills of lading may seem small, their impact on international trade is very critical. They can improve customs clearance efficiency and reduce customs clearance costs. If promoted, it will not only affect these developed economies and large traders, but more importantly, it will significantly enhance the ability of some small and medium-sized economies and some developing countries to participate in international trade and improve their trade efficiency," said Zhou Mi, deputy director of the Institute of American and Oceania, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, which is under the administration of the Ministry of Commerce.
This year, a key topic of the meeting is the digital economy.
"In the past, people thought the digital economy was an option; now it has become a must. Because having advantages in digital economy development means having greater advantages in international trade. They (member economies) have seen some of China's practices and approaches in the digital economy field and hope to use such a platform to further improve their own technology and strengthen coordination with China," said Zhou.
Founded in 1989, the APEC is the highest-level, broadest and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. About 700 representatives from 21 APEC economies and international organizations will gather in Jiangsu for the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting.
Preliminary consultations begin for APEC trade ministers' meeting
