China to build its first inland Antarctic research station in 2009

Shanghai, Apr.21 : China will complete the construction of its first inland Antarctic research station at the highest peak in the region next year.

"The preparatory work for the new station is underway," Sun Bo, leader of the Chinese Antarctic icecap expedition team, told the official Xinhua news agency.

The new research station will be China's third station in Antarctica after the Changcheng Station and Zhongshan Station.

The 17-member team has just came back from their 24th expedition, completing 46 scientific studies and 11 logistic programs.

It also scaled Dome A, the continent's highest peak at 4,093 meters above sea level, for the second time in history on January 12. The researchers carried out scientific inspections on glaciers, geology, meteorological phenomenon and astronomy at the peak.

China launched its first expedition to the Antarctic in 1984.

ANI