Zhao Hongying, a member of the Chinese Arctic expedition team, checks a sampling device to capture microplastics from the air at China's Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

In late June, amid Norway's Svalbard archipelago, marking the onset of summer in the Arctic islands, Chinese scientists at a pioneering research outpost delve into uncharted territories while fostering deep friendships with colleagues worldwide, blending scientific exploration with the warmth of human camaraderie.

Arctic expedition and research nexus

"You came at a very good time, as tomorrow is the annual litter cleaning campaign," Chinese scientist Hu Zhengyi tells this summer's new research fellows at one of the planet's northernmost permanent residences, a town named Ny-Alesund at a latitude of 79 degrees North.

The researchers traveled over the glaciers to the town in a twin-turboprop aircraft.

"The day after tomorrow is our midsummer party," Hu tells them, excited about inviting newcomers to the town's upcoming events.

Originally a coal mining settlement, scientific research has been the main activity in Ny-Alesund since the 1960s. The town is currently home to scientists from over 10 countries, including members of China's Arctic Yellow River Station, located on the far east side of the settlement.

Around 40 people live in the community all year round, although more researchers come in the summertime, which can bring the population to up to 180.

Hu, who is the manager of the Chinese station, participates in all aspects of town life, from the Norwegian Constitution Day parade to litter-cleaning campaigns and summer barbecue parties. Sometimes he will drink a beer while chatting with old or new friends, although he says he is "a lightweight when it comes to drinking."

Established in 2004, the Yellow River Station is China's first Arctic scientific research station. The facility provides support for scientific monitoring and research in glaciology, terrestrial ecology, marine ecology, space physics, and atmospheric studies.

Earl Sullivan Lester, senior engineer with the Norwegian Mapping Authority, shared with Xinhua how he got to know the head of the Chinese station over chili sauce.

"Back home we call it 'Happy Chef,'" Lester explained, referring to a Chinese chili sauce which Chinese researchers always bring to the cafeteria as a necessity for daily meals.

Before coming to Svalbard, Lester was not aware of the existence of a Chinese research station here. Now he calls it "a really special part of this community."

When a jar of chili sauce becomes the catalyst for a connection between two people, it exemplifies the typical way many friendships are formed in this town.

"The direct, human, one-on-one conversations you can have here really accelerate or amplify the possibilities for collaboration," Lester said.

Environmental crusade in Svalbard

In Svalbard, Chinese and Norwegian scientists have been conducting a collaborative project on how microplastics affect polar environments.

"Industry is producing chemicals all the time," said Geir Wing Gabrielsen, section leader in Toxicology at the Norwegian Polar Institute, who has worked in Svalbard for over 40 years.

"There are probably 200,000 chemicals on the market and we only have good knowledge of 10 percent of them," he said.

It is estimated that over 150 million tons of plastics have accumulated in the world's oceans since the onset of industrial production in the 1950s, according to a study by the Arctic Council's working group Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment in 2019.

Plastic items break down into microplastics, which keep on accumulating in the environment, eventually finding their way into every part of the food chain.

Since 2017, Chinese and Norwegian scientists have been cooperating to collect samples from the air and ocean around Svalbard, attempting to identify unknown chemicals. Samples are sent to Shanghai's Tongji University for analysis.

"It is very important to have good laboratories for doing such analytical work," Gabrielsen said.

Gabrielsen noted that Tongji University's "fantastic lab" has been used to identify new chemicals as well as to follow their development patterns, thus providing input into an "important international process."

To solve a global issue, it takes an attitude of openness and active data sharing, Lu said. "Based on our sincere and open-minded cooperation, this project has been stable and successful."

Polar legacy and cultural crossroads

On the roof of the Yellow River Station, there is a sampling device to capture microplastics from the air, working tirelessly under the midnight sun.

One hundred meters to the west is a monument to famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who chose Ny-Alesund as a starting point for his expeditions to the North Pole a century ago.

To the east, the mooring mast for Amundsen's airship "Norge" still stands on the tundra.

The work of Amundsen and his contemporaries marked a turning point for polar exploration, when it moved from a search for personal glory through conquering extremes and breaking records, to a focus on systematic scientific inquiry.

Meanwhile, the allure of Ny-Alesund for contemporary tourists lies in the juxtaposition of century-old expedition relics and ongoing scientific endeavors.

Today, when cruise tourists drop by for a few hours in the town, many of them stop in front of the Yellow River Station to take pictures of an ornament of two guardian lions. The ornament is a symbol of Ny-Alesund, said Solveig Roti Dahl, an adviser with the town's management company Kings Bay.

On June 21, Kings Bay organized the traditional summer litter clean-up in the town.

Hu was assigned to group six, tasked with cleaning the port area. His haul included rusty nails from the bygone coal mining era.

"We are guests in Norway," said Hu. "It's just good manners to show our full support and enthusiasm whenever an activity is hosted in town."

Hu has also often invited his new friends to visit the Chinese station. "After all, we believe in building relationships, whether personally or professionally."