China to establish 4th Antarctica base

China's fourth scientific research station on Antarctica will be set up during an expedition to the southern continent by the Chinese icebreaker Xuelong that will begin on Nov 7.

"Taishan Station, named after Taishan Mountain in Shandong province, will be located at Princess Elisabeth Base ... and will be an important connection between Zhongshan Station, which was built in 1989, and the south pole," said Liu Shunlin, chief scientist at the Polar Research Institute of China and leader of this year's expedition.

Xuelong will sail for an estimated 58,000 km over 155 days, carrying a 280-member expedition team.

It will be the first time that Chinese scientists have sailed around Antarctica.

China will build another station on Antarctica in the next three years to carry out more scientific research, especially on climate change and environmental change.