China approves law on Antarctic activities, environmental protection

Beijing has approved a law to improve China's Antarctic research and strengthen regulation of its exploration activities, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

Like the US, China has been expanding its presence in Antarctica and the Arctic to explore polar resources.

• The law aims to encourage Chinese scientific exploration and "safeguards the security of national activities, assets and other interests in Antarctica".

• It requires Chinese Antarctic activities to protect animals and plants, properly handle and dispose of waste, prevent marine pollution, and avoid or reduce adverse impacts on the Antarctic environment.

• Permission for Chinese Antarctic research, tourism, shipping, and other activities will be subject to a series of environmental, safety and other conditions.

• China has had an atmospheric monitoring station in Antarctica for two years, observing changes and supporting the global response to climate change.

• China is a party to the Antarctic Treaty, which designates the content as a scientific preserve open to research and bans military activity, and to its 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection, which prohibited mining and oil exploration for 50 years.