On 2-4 April, 2008, the 320th Xiangshan Science Conference was held in Shanghai, with the theme of international polar year and future polar research.

The experts noted that the acknowledgement of the role of polar areas in global change is key to our understanding of future climate change and called for the Chinese science community of integrate the national strengths and map out the future polar development strategy in China so as to play a leading role in the international competition.