Two Chinese icebreaker research vessels and a cargo ship embarked on their journey to the Antarctic on Wednesday, carrying more than 460 personnel. Their mission is to contribute to the construction of China's fifth station in the world's southernmost continent.

This deployment represents China's most extensive flotilla of research vessels to the Antarctic and is primarily focused on establishing the station on Inexpressible Island, a rugged and windswept location near the Ross Sea, a deep bay in the Southern Ocean named after a 19th-century British explorer, as reported by Reuters.

Construction of the first Chinese station in the Pacific sector began in 2018, primarily for research related to the region's environment, as stated by state television.

China currently operates four research stations in the Antarctic, constructed between 1985 and 2014. A U.S.-based think tank estimates that the fifth station could be completed next year.

The new facility is expected to include an observatory with a satellite ground station, marking a significant step in enhancing China's access to the continent. According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), this station will address a substantial gap in China's capabilities regarding Antarctic access.

Moreover, the station's strategic location makes it well-suited for collecting signals intelligence over Australia and New Zealand, as well as telemetry data from rockets launched from Australia's newly established Arnhem Space Centre.