China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team is preparing to, for the first time, drill into a subglacial lake buried over 3,600 meters deep beneath the ice cap in Antarctica.
During the expedition, the team plans to conduct scientific drilling experiments in the Qilin Subglacial Lake for the first time, said Wei Fuhai, leader of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team.
Using domestically built hot-water and thermal-melting drill systems, the team will carry out clean drilling and sampling through ice of 3,600 meters thick, said Wei.
China has made some early-stage preparations for the scientific drilling of the lake.
The Qilin Subglacial Lake, which was named by China in 2022, is located in the Princess Elizabeth Land in the East Antarctic inland ice sheet.
As the second-largest buried lake discovered so far in Antarctica, the lake has a developing history of around 3 million years of isolation from the outside world.
Based on cumulative data, the subglacial lake is estimated to have a surface area of 370 square kilometers with a water depth of up to 200 meters.
"Qilin Subglacial Lake is uniquely located in the stable inland area of East Antarctica. It is estimated to have formed approximately 3 million years ago, making it an ideal area for exploring subglacial lakes and life in extreme environments," said Guo Jingxue, head of the subglacial lake team of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team, in a lecture aboard Xuelong polar research icebreaker.
The team is carrying out the mission onboard Xuelong and Xuelong 2 polar research icebreakers, and is scheduled to conclude the mission by May 2026.
Both icebreakers have now crossed the equator and entered the Southern Hemisphere.
Long covered by the ice sheet, the Antarctic subglacial lakes have unique high-pressure, low-temperature, low-nutrient and dark environmental conditions that provide unique information on biological evolution, climate change as well as the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet.
To further advance understanding of Antarctica's role in global climate change, the expedition team will collect long-term observational records in key regions such as the Amundsen Sea and Ross Sea.
Scientific drilling is the only means of obtaining physical samples from subglacial lakes. Since 2012, the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia have carried out drilling into and taken samples from three other subglacial lakes in Antarctica.
China to drill into subglacial lake in Antarctica
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that mediation efforts of the Pakistani side regarding the Middle East tensions are in the common interests of all parties.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in his talks with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.
During their talks, the two sides exchanged views on current international issues and regional conflicts.
Wang welcomed the visit of the Pakistani side to Beijing for discussion on easing tensions in the Middle East, just after its holding of a quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Islamabad.
He said China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks. This process is no easy task, and Pakistan's mediation efforts are in line with the common interests of all parties, Wang added.
He noted China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to end the hostilities as soon as possible, create opportunities for peace and open the window for peace talks.
On bilateral ties, Wang said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, calling on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and constantly advance the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
For his part, Dar said the Pakistan-China friendship is precious and deeply rooted in people's hearts, adding that Pakistan is willing to work with China to promote the continuous development of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Dar thanked China for supporting Pakistan's mediation of the situation in Iran, adding that the current conflict has disrupted international energy supplies and caused heavy damage to developing countries.
Noting that solutions can only be found through negotiation, Dar said Pakistan is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to push all parties to start peace talks as soon as possible and restore regional peace.
The two sides also put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East region:
I. Immediate cessation of hostilities: China and Pakistan call for immediate cessation of hostilities and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas.
II. Start of peace talks as soon as possible. Sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.
III. Security of nonmilitary targets. The principle of protecting civilians in military conflict should be observed. China and Pakistan call on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law, and stop attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
IV. Security of shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy. China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.
V. Primacy of the United Nations Charter. China and Pakistan call for efforts to practice true multilateralism, to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations, and to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Pakistan's mediation efforts in common interests of all parties: Chinese FM
