Members aboard China's research icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, are experience summer at temperatures persistent at zero degree Celsius in the southern hemisphere on China's 41st Antarctic expedition.
They are also spending many of their first New Year's Day away from home.
Among the Antarctic adventurers is Chen Dongbin, a sailor and drone enthusiast on the research icebreaker Xuelong 2. Still in his twenties, Chen has already taken five voyages to the polar regions and conducted drone operations on the research icebreaker for three to four years.
During the voyage, whenever there is an important event or a special scene, Chen's drone is there to capture it, such as when research icebreaker Xuelong 2 docked with the cargo vessel Yongsheng in the Antarctic.
Pei Jiahao, an engineer aboard Xuelong 2, is another experienced expedition member. His main job is to stay in the lab, use and maintain equipment for the expedition, and to participate in and support the work of oceanographic operations.
Pei is also a passionate photographer and claims many prizes among his over 20,000 photos. From snow-covered mountain to adorable penguins, from arduous task of working on ice to sheets of floating ice, Pei has been recording his work and life through the lens of his camera.
"Many of my friends and family are unable to be on the spot, so I hope to take more beautiful photos and share with them when I get back," said Pei.
There are other ways to document life aboard. Zu Chengdi, assistant chief engineer of Xuelong 2, is a poetry lover. Having participated in 12 Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, he has written nearly 200 poems to record his emotions on each voyage.
In Zu's poems, he describes his busy daily work, joy of reunion with his old colleagues, and feeling of nostalgia.
"I think of them, all the time. It's Chinese tradition, On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away. [My daughter] is seven and a half years old this year. I often browse the videos [of her] that I recorded before. After all, I've missed much of her growth," said Zu.
For the crew members, the Antarctic expedition means to be far away from their folks during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival.
"I'm 23. This is my second polar mission this year, and I've been to the Arctica once. I wish our voyage a complete success," said Yang liwei, a system administrator of Xuelong 2.
"Those born in the 1990s and 2000s make up 50 percent of the crew. These young people have now grown into the backbone of our team. We constantly have new talents join our polar missions who have brought a fresh atmosphere to the ship," said Xiao Zhimin, captain of Xuelong 2.
China's 41st Antarctic expedition set sail on Nov 1, 2024, starting a mission expected to last nearly seven months.
During the expedition, researchers will build the supporting infrastructure for the Qinling Station in Antarctica, investigate the impact of climate change on the Antarctic ecosystem, and conduct international research and logistics cooperation.
Chinese icebreaker crew spends New Year in Antarctica
A 25 percent import tariff on all foreign-built vehicles entering the United States has raised serious concerns for manufacturers in South Africa.
Automotive giants like Mercedes and BMW have long used South Africa as a base for global exports -- but those plans may be shifting into reverse gear after the U.S. announced the punitive measures.
"If you take, for example, BMW, 97 percent of the X3 that we are producing in Rosslyn is exported out of the country. We only sell 3 percent in South Africa, and there's a huge number of those vehicles that also go into the U.S. So there are companies in South Africa that are purely here not because they are selling vehicles in South Africa; they are here to produce vehicles for the global market, and it's important for them to remain globally competitive," said Mike Mabasa, CEO of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa.
U.S. automaker Ford, which has deep roots in South Africa, is also in the crosshairs.
The company recently invested over 300 million U.S. dollars to upgrade its Silverton plant in Pretoria, South Africa, for the production of the world's only plug-in hybrid Ranger, which has just entered production but could face delays or restrictions.
"If an American citizen wants to buy specifically a Ford Ranger that is a plug-in hybrid, they can only place an order in South Africa, nowhere else in the world. So, that means, obviously, the capacity of Ford to be able to produce those vehicles in big volumes is going to be constrained, because Americans are going be looking at another Ford that is produced in another country, or even in the United States," said Mabasa.
South Africa has long enjoyed duty-free automotive exports to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, but that relationship now hangs in the balance.
A sharp shift in U.S. foreign policy threatens to derail an industry that employs thousands and contributes around 5 percent to the country's economy.
"We produce less than 1 percent of global automotive vehicles, so to say. So, in reality, the impact on us is likely to be more disproportionate than those of our peers that produce at the same level. And the risk is actually created -- a concentration risk -- in countries that have greater capacity and are building more; in those countries will be able to absorb some of this," said Parks Tau, South Africa's minister of trade and industry.
Amid growing concerns about overreliance on the U.S. market, Amith Singh, national manager for manufacturing at Nedbank Commercial Bank, emphasized the importance of tapping into regional trade opportunities.
"I think we need to make better use of some of our local agreements, our African continental agreements. How do we leverage that? How do we partner with the government and private sector to start benefiting the countries and the economies aside from the United States? So, those could be the catalyst to drive our localization projects; it could be what we need to drive the African economy as opposed to being completely reliant on the States (United States)," he said.
South Africa is for now standing firm in its decision not to retaliate against steep U.S. import tariffs, set to take effect in just a few days.
Officials in Pretoria acknowledge the challenges posed by the current U.S. administration but are pursuing a diplomatic approach in hopes of maintaining stable relations and preserving the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
US tariffs rock South Africa’s auto industry
