China to Make First North Pole Trip ����China announced on May 25 that the country will make its first North Pole scientific expedition between July and September. ����According to Director Zhang Dengyi of the State Oceanic Administration, nearly 50 scientists and 20 journalists will leave Shanghai on July 1 on "Snow Dragon", an icebreaker that has been used in several Antarctic expeditions in the past 15 years. ����The State Council has approved the expedition which involves a large number of scientists from Zhang's administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, agriculture and education ministries, China Meteorological Administration, and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping. ����The scientists will study the effect of the North Pole on global climate, especially on that of China, the ecological system in Arctic waters, and the atmosphere, geology, fishing, and marine environment of the area. ����Six Chinese scientists joined an American expedition to the North Pole in 1995. Non-government funding allowed them to study oceanographic, ice, snow, atmospheric, and environmental phenomena. (Xinhua) HomeNews 1999-05-26 Page5 Full Story in Chinese