Vice-premier calls southernmost continent shared responsibility

China called for better understanding, protection and development of Antarctica as it hosted the start of the 40th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting on Tuesday.

The southernmost continent should be developed in a peaceful manner, and countries involved should increase their political trust and shared responsibility, Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli said in the opening ceremony of the meeting in Beijing.

Zhang said the protection of Antarctica's ecology and environment should be prioritized and a balance must be struck in the development and protection of the continent.

Freedom of scientific investigations on the continent should be respected as part of efforts to increase the understanding of the change and development patterns of the continent, he said.

The current Antarctic Treaty System, the main platform for discussion of affairs of the continent, is functioning well, and all sides should continue to push forward the governing of the continent under the system, he said.

Zhang Yesui, vice-minister of foreign affairs, called for strengthening legal institutions with bearing on Antarctica on the basis of rules, as well as enhancing the capacity of scientific research so as to better protect and utilize the region.

Countries should adhere to the current Antarctic Treaty System, but also discuss the formulation of laws and management systems to deal with emerging issues, such as tourism, he said.

"No country can solve on its own challenges brought by new activities such as Antarctic tourism and bioprospecting. Countries need to collaborate and cooperate to handle them," he said.

Also, countries should strengthen communication and information sharing, better coordinate their positions over major issues, and listen to opinions by all stakeholders, said Vice-Minister Zhang.

Jane Rumble, head of the Polar Regions Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, said that there is no evidence as yet of a significant impact from tourism in Antarctica, but there is concern for the future.

"There could be more competition. With the competition, the standards could lower.

"What we would like to see is the Antarctic Treaty coming into a shared vision of tourism, and then making sure that we got the rules, policies and regulations in place," she said.

The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting is an annual decision-making mechanism established under the Antarctic Treaty and an important intergovernmental, multilateral conference on Antarctic international governance.

The Antarctic Treaty has 53 contracting parties, 29 of them are Consultative Parties for their substantial research activities in Antarctica. China acceded to the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and became a Consultative Party in 1985.

Contact the writers at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn