On September 3, in a port of Vladivostok, Russia, there successfully held the launching ceremony of the 2019 China-Russia joint scientific cruise on the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk (the seventh China-Russia joint scientific cruise) co-organized by The First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO, MNR) and the Pacific Oceanological Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (POI, FEB, RAS). Mikhail Kotyukov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Li Tiegang, Director of FIO, and Vyacheslav Lobanov, Director of POI, attended the ceremony and made speeches. 10 Chinese members of the expedition from FIO and South China Sea Branch of MNR and some Russian members attended the ceremony. Zheng Wei, Deputy Head of Division of International Cooperation of FIO and Liu Yanguang, Deputy Head of the Lab of Marine Geology and Geophysics of FIO, attended the activity.

Mikhail Kotyukov congratulated China and Russia on the launch of the seventh joint scientific cruise and warmly welcomed the Chinese delegation to attend the launching ceremony. After that, he briefly introduced the ongoing marine science research program of Russia. He hoped that Chinese and Russian scientists will further their cooperation in marine research. He highlighted the significance of the joint scientific expedition on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

Li Tiegang said in his address, over the past decade, China and Russia have conducted long-term and fruitful practical cooperation in oceans and polar areas. In June this year, two heads of China and Russia promoted bilateral relations to "China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era". Cooperation in oceans and polar areas is a key part of implementing and developing China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. In the preliminary work, the two sides have many discussions about scientific objectives, survey station design and survey objects, through which detailed implementation plans were formulated to contribute to the confidence in the successful implementation of the cruise. He said, the positive results of the cruise are conducive to furthering the practical cooperation between China and Russia in oceans and polar areas, to implementing China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and to promoting the construction of a "Polar Silk Road". In the end, he expressed the hope that members of the cruise take care of themselves, work hard, strengthen exchanges and coordination, and strive to complete the voyage task, thus to contribute to promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in oceans and polar areas, and with outstanding achievements, they can greet the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

Vyacheslav Lobanov extended his warm welcome to Chinese delegation to the ceremony and his gratitude to FIO and scientists of both sides for their meticulous preparation for the cruise in 2019. He pointed out that over the past decade, China and Russia had 6 successful cruises and have jointly built FIO-POI China-Russia Joint Research Center of Ocean and Climate. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, the seventh cruise will further improve their practical cooperation in oceans and polar areas.

The joint scientific cruise is subsidized by Department of Early Warning and Monitoring, MNR, and FEB, RAS. The main objective is to survey and research the evolutionary history of paleoenvironment and paleoclimate of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk during the late Quaternary period. And the estimated survey duration is 45 days. The implement of the cruise will further their understanding of the changing process of the environment and climate of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. Under the support of competent authorities of China and Russia, FIO and POI have carried out long-term practical cooperation in such fields as cooperative research, personnel exchanges and the implementation of joint cruises. In September 2017, in Vladivostok, Russia, FIO-POI China-Russia Joint Research Center of Ocean and Climate, which is the first cooperative marine investigation and research entity, was built by the two sides. They jointly manage the Center that operates well at present. The Center is headed by Shi Xuefa, a researcher, and Sergey Gorbarenko, a professor.

Before the ceremony, Li Tiegang and Vyacheslav Lobanov had an in-depth communication about the implementation of the joint cruise, the construction of the Center, and the cooperation between the two sides in oceans and polar areas. The two sides agreed to continuously strengthen the cooperation in oceans and polar areas in the future. Li Tiegang and Vyacheslav Lobanov carried out preliminary checks on equipment and vessels. They encouraged members of the cruise to perform the installation and debugging of instruments and equipment, and to accomplish the objectives and tasks.

Ribbon-cutting launching ceremony of the cruiseGroup photo