China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 began its first ice station survey operation in the central Arctic Ocean on Sunday, near 84 degrees north latitude, during the country's 16th Arctic expedition.

The icebreaker will carry out more than 20 research tasks at seven ice stations, including deploying ice-based drifting buoys, collecting ice cores and conducting remote sensing observations of sea ice. The mission aims to collect comprehensive data on changes in the Arctic environment, including the atmosphere, sea ice, upper ocean and under-ice ecosystems amid the region's melting sea ice.

The scientific data collected will support research into the rapid changes in Arctic sea ice, the mechanisms driving those changes, and the evolution of Arctic marine ecosystems.

Polar bears remain one of the major safety risks during ice station operations. The expedition team has developed bear deterrence measures and emergency response plans to ensure the safety of all team members.

China launched its 16th Arctic expedition on July 3, with addressing climate change and its impacts as a central focus of the mission.