China Launches Pioneering Antarctic Drilling Expedition

On November 1, 2025, China launched its 42nd Antarctic expedition, sending a team to the coldest continent on Earth with a groundbreaking mission. For the first time, the Chinese expedition will focus on drilling experiments in the continent's deep, subglacial lakes, using domestically developed hot-water and thermal-melting drill systems.

The expedition, led by chief scientist Wei Fuhai, plans to conduct "clean drilling and sampling through ice more than 3,000 metres thick" to explore the unique ecosystem and climate history preserved in these extreme environments. China's growing presence in Antarctica is part of its efforts to "continuously enhance our ability to understand, protect, and utilise" the resource-rich continent, according to Long Wei, deputy director of the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration.