Qinling Station's infrastructure continues to improve, advancing China's Antarctic research

China's Qinling Station, the country's fifth research base in Antarctica, has seen steady improvements in its infrastructure, bolstering the country's scientific endeavors in the polar region.

The station, located on the Inexpressible Island in the Ross Sea, was officially inaugurated in February. Covering an area of 5,244 square meters, the station is in a shape resembling the Southern Cross constellation, a unique design to honor Zheng He, a legendary admiral, navigator and diplomat in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The first group of 34 members from China's 41st Antarctic expedition team, has recently arrived at the station, carrying out tasks such as equipment activation and power restoration, while preparing for the main team's arrival.

Wang Zhechao, leader of the station, explained that temporary facilities, including a diesel-powered generator room, are already operational to provide electricity to the advance team.

Additionally, the station's seawater desalination system is functioning smoothly, providing fresh water for all team members.

Work on setting up an oil storage system is also advancing, with the installation of an 88-cubic-meter tank currently underway. Once completed, the station will have eight such tanks to ensure a steady fuel supply.

"The green containers behind me are used for transporting supplies to Antarctica for the station's construction. All construction materials were delivered in these containers. Once construction is completed, all debris and waste will be transported back in them to China for harmless disposal, in line with China's green construction and sustainable research initiatives," he added.

China's 41st Antarctic expedition team set off from Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Nov 1, taking the research icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon and Snow Dragon 2, as well as cargo vessel Yong Sheng.

In the coming months, researchers will build the supporting infrastructure for the Qinling Station, investigate the impact of climate change on the Antarctic ecosystem, and conduct international research and logistics cooperation.

Qinling Station's infrastructure continues to improve, advancing China's Antarctic research

China's first large-scale production line for civil aviation tires is now operational in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with an expected annual output of 100,000 high-performance tires.

On Thursday, an Airbus A320 landed smoothly in Guangxi's Guilin City, marking the first successful test flight of a civil aviation aircraft fitted with domestically produced aviation radial tires.

The aviation tire was developed by Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Company, a subsidiary of Sinochem Holdings.

Currently, this new digital civil aviation tire production line can produce tires for six different aircraft models and 12 specifications. Previously, the tires produced by the production line had already been compatible with aircraft models such as the C909, B737, and A320.

At present, 98 percent of the aircraft tires used in China's civil aviation are imported. The operation of the new production line marks a significant step, as China has now gained the capacity to domestically produce tires for its aircraft models. "There are more than a thousand tire companies in the world, but only a dozen can produce aviation tires. The completion of this production line represents a key breakthrough in China's aviation tire manufacturing, marking the shift from zero to one. The line's capacity can meet around 40 percent of the current domestic demand," said Lu Hengyu, a principal of the Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Company.

In addition to serving domestic customers, the company also plans to expand into overseas markets, with the goal of achieving large-scale commercial use of its tires by both domestic and international airlines.

China's first large-scale civil aviation tire production line begins operation