China has made remarkable achievements in polar scientific research and ecological observations after four decades of exploration, as represented by the icebreaker Xue Long 2, and the country is willing to deepen collaboration with global scientists to protect the polar regions and prevent a climate crisis.

Officials and experts made the remarks to an international climate change forum in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Qinling Station, the fifth Antarctic research station of China, which opened in February, will become an open platform for cooperation between Chinese and foreign polar experts, the officials and experts said at the Global Conference on Climate Change, held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The two-day forum seeks to facilitate collaboration and exchanges among scientists, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders worldwide on polar studies and climate change. As part of a series of activities held during Xue Long 2’s visit to Hong Kong, the forum has invited Chinese polar scientists who arrived in Hong Kong with the icebreaker to share insights.

Addressing the conference, Chen Danhong, director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, said the polar regions’ ecosystems are more vulnerable and sensitive compared with those of other places in the world, and this has amplified climate change’s influence in the Arctic and Antarctic. The changes in the polar regions, in return, has accelerated the changes of the weather and ecosystems in mid- and low-altitude areas, leading to the rise of sea levels and effects of climate change, Chen said.

Underscoring the importance of polar governance, she said the nation has conducted polar expeditions for 40 years and carried out extensive research to study the polar regions’ climate, environment, ocean and ecology.

Meanwhile, China’s polar expeditions have received outside assistance from countries such as Australia and Argentina, and Chinese scientists have been collaborating with foreign scientists on many polar research projects, adding that the country’s polar research stations and polar icebreakers have also hosted scholars from France, Thailand, and other countries for joint research.

On Feb 7, China opened its fifth Antarctic research station — Qinling Station. The station’s location, the Ross Sea coast, is a concentration of typical climates and landforms of the Antarctic region, which gives the station a high scientific research value.

Chen said she expects the station to become another open platform for cooperation between Chinese and foreign scientists.

As an active participant in polar studies and governance, China will continue to use the results of polar research to participate in international cooperation and play a positive role in addressing climate change, the official said.

“I hope we can make a joint effort to better understand, protect and make use of the polar regions, cope with the global climate change and help build a global community with a shared future,” Chen added.

Zhang Beichen, the team leader and chief scientist of China’s 40th Antarctic scientific expedition, is among the expert delegation visiting the city with the Xue Long 2 icebreaker. During his keynote speech at the forum, he said the environment of Antarctica has significantly affected climate change.

He said snowmobiles could travel on thick ice in the polar regions to transport cargo from the vessels to the inland research bases. This method of transportation worked for decades until recently. “This year, when we went to the Zhongshan Station — China’s second Antarctica research base built in 1989 — we found that ice there was basically broken and unable to support vehicles,” Zhang said. So instead, cargo was transported by aircraft.

He also noticed that in some inland parts of Antarctica, temperatures rose by an unusual 40 degree C — from minus 60 degree C to minus 20 degree C — because of strong heat waves, and these changes could have a wide impact.

The continuous loss of ice sheets in Antarctica over the last 30 years has also raised the sea level by 8 millimeters, Zhang said.

The veteran polar scientist said that after adding the newly completed Qinling Station, China now has five research bases in the Earth’s south end, which carry out studies on the ocean, atmosphere, biology, geography, and other disciplines. Chinese scientists have also published dozens of articles in polar exploration in the world’s top science journals such as Nature, Zhang said.

Zhang said he welcomes Hong Kong researchers to visit the polar research bases and work together with other scientists from the Chinese mainland and other places around the world.

Ma Fung-kwok, chairman of the organizing committee of the Xue Long 2’s visit, emphasized that the vessel can serve as a beacon of inspiration for younger generation as they can see in-person the wonders and challenges of exploring the unknown.

Ma said the Xue Long 2 demonstrates China’s dedication and capability to contribute to global science and environmental protection, which can encourage more youngsters to pursue careers in science.

Docked in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Xue Long 2 icebreaker will be open to the Hong Kong public through Friday, with tickets being allocated online.

On Wednesday, the forum will arrange a special session that will invite the mainland polar scientists to communicate with local students. Some other polar scientists will come to the Hong Kong Science Museum on the same day and talk with about 200 Hong Kong students at a sharing session.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com