Data Map
Xuelong reached the Arctic Circle
Today the Chinese ice – breaker sailed into the Arctic Circle.
The Xue Long made a brief stop in the Bering Sea to run some tests on the Arctic marine living resources and the sea ice.
Chinese National Arctic Expedition will reach Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea later this week. After traversing through the Arctic Ocean, Xue Long will sail to Iceland for a five-day research visit.
China and Iceland has good and growing diplomatic relations.
Both countries have been lately strengthening their cooperation in the Arctic.
In April, Premier Wen Jiabao visited Iceland to discuss issues such as free trade and geothermal energy development. His was the first visit from a Chinese head of state in forty years.
Xue Long will now be the first Chinese icebreaker to visit the North Atlantic nation.
The expedition is scheduled to last 90 days, with a journey covering about 17, 000 nautical miles. During the voyage, scientists will measure the impact of changing Arctic climate on other non – Arctic states, especially China.
