Li sends scientists festival greetings

(China Daily)
Updated: 2012-01-21

BEIJING - Vice-Premier Li Keqiang on Friday extended festival greetings to Chinese scientists working in the polar regions ahead of China's Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan 23.

During a visit to the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, Li made phone calls to some scientists stationed in the polar regions and researchers aboard the scientific research vessel Snow Dragon, which is in the middle of a six-month Antarctic expedition.

Li called for efforts to increase the depth and scope of China's scientific research in both polar regions and oceans.

He said China should efficiently raise its capacity in exploring, protecting and comprehensively managing its oceanic territory, as required by the country's 12th Five-year Plan (2011-15).

To explore and protect China's oceans is an inevitable strategic choice as the country pursues all-round opening up, Li said.

Li also stressed the need to protect China's maritime rights and interests.

Snow Dragon, Xuelong in Chinese, left the port city of Tianjin in November. A 220-member expedition team, including two scientists from Taiwan, boarded the ship, which will carry out 31 scientific research tasks during the trip.

Part of the vessel's mission is to bring supplies to two of China's three Antarctic stations, and drop a team off at the third, Kunlun.

During the visit on Friday, Li also asked for more accurate marine environmental forecasting, because fishing operations, personnel and cargo transportation as well as oceanic and coastal travel all need accurate weather and ocean wave information.

He said in winter, observers should pay close attention to the development of sea ice along China's coastal areas.

The Bohai Sea and northern part of Yellow Sea started to freeze in December and ice had covered 8,437 square kilometers of the Bohai Sea and 2,528 sq km of the Yellow Sea by Thursday, according to the forecast released by the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center on Friday.

The frozen area is slightly smaller than it was during this time last year, but the forecast said as a cold front moves toward the northern part of China, the sea ice may grow during the coming weeklong Lunar New Year holiday.

The forecast reminded authorities to be timely in breaking ice near ports, sea lines and offshore oil platforms in the Bohai Sea and northern parts of Yellow Sea in the coming few days.

Xinhua-China Daily

(China Daily 01/21/2012 page2)