While China's 43rd Antarctic expedition embarks on its southbound voyage, the country has adopted its first national law on Antarctic activities and environmental protection on Friday, bringing science, tourism, fishing and shipping under one legal framework. 

What does it mean for science, for a fast-growing wave of Antarctic tourists, and for the planet's last great wilderness?

We hear from an expert who joined the country's previous Antarctic expedition, and a national lawmaker on why this law is China's pledge to the world.