China launches 15th western Pacific expedition

China

China launches 15th western Pacific expedition

2026-07-05 16:31 Last Updated At：17:07

China's comprehensive research vessel KEXUE departed from Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province Saturday for an estimated 40-day mission in the western Pacific, marking the 15th voyage of the shared research program that began in 2010.

The expedition brings together scientists from more than 10 institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ocean University of China, Sun Yat-sen University and Xiamen University. Their work will center on two major questions: how the western Pacific's currents and warm pool influence regional and global climate, and how the region's complex geology has evolved over time.

Research will span air-sea interaction, physical oceanography, marine biology, chemistry and seafloor geology.

To address the scientific objectives of this voyage, the research team will deploy an integrated observation system that combines fixed buoys and moorings, mobile underwater gliders, and ship-based transect surveys.

A highlight of the expedition is the official naming of the self-developed buoy and mooring systems as "LangYa," which are designed to work in tandem with IOCAS's AI-powered LangYa ocean large model.

In early June, IOCAS released the LangYa 2.0 large model, a major upgrade that moves beyond basic sea variables to predict complex marine phenomena, including typhoons, extreme rainfall and storm surges.

The western Pacific is a critical region affecting China's weather, climate, and maritime shipping safety. Over the past 15 years, the shared program has proved highly effective, as more than 1,100 observation stations in the sea have been completed, and annual time-series data along key sections now stretch back up to 14 years.

The long-term data collected will support shipping safety, climate change response and the exploration of deep-sea resources and environmental management.

Ethiopia earns record 3 bln USD from coffee exports

Ethiopia has earned a record 3 billion U.S. dollars from coffee exports during its concluding 2025/26 fiscal year, according to Adugna Debela, director general of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority.

The director general made the remarks at a media briefing on Friday, attributing the highest revenue to the export of high-quality and specialty coffee that commanded better prices at the global market.

"It is a pride for us to register such a remarkable result amid the conflict in the Middle East," said Debela, recalling that the conflict disrupted coffee shipments and logistic operations en route to the region and the Far East.

During the year, 1 ton of Ethiopian coffee was sold at 7,500 U.S. dollars at the global market, up from 6,000 U.S. dollars last year, while other coffee exporting countries received a 40 percent lower price compared with last year, according to Debela, noting that the global coffee price per kilo has declined to 2.4 dollars this year from 4 dollars last year.

Debela said the government's commitment to introducing sound reforms, curbing illegal and contraband trade, reducing wastage, and expanding market destinations has also greatly contributed to better revenue.

Saudi Arabia, Germany, and China have become the top three destinations for Ethiopian coffee exports during the year.

The director general said the country envisages generating up to 6 billion dollars annually in the coming five years.

According to a statement released at the press briefing, the authority said Ethiopia's annual coffee production has grown from 500,000 tons five years ago to 1.5 million tons this year, while the country's coffee-producing capacity per hectare has also risen from 600 kg to 1,000 kg during the period.