China is planning to build a new station in the South Pole for scientific research in five to 15 years, which will be the country's fourth, the State Oceanic Administration said Sunday.

Qu Tanzhou, director of the administration's polar region expedition office, made the statement at the China Symposium on Polar Science held in Shanghai.

China's three existing South Pole research stations are the Great Wall, Zhongshan and Kunlun.

Qu said China would continue to strengthen its scientific research, expand the research scope, and improve the transport support system, emergency management system, communication networks and information sharing system of the polar research stations.

China would also build a modern fleet of ships for polar scientific research, which had been included in the five-year plan from 2011 to 2015, he added.

In addition to the existing icebreaker Snow Dragon, the country had started construction of a new icebreaker for polar research, said Qu.

The design work of the vessel had started and construction was expected to start in 2011 and be completed by 2013, he added.

China would extensively participate in the international polar affairs, maintain international legal orders of the polar areas, and fulfill international obligations, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2010)