On the morning of October 26, the first group of members of China's 39th Antarctic scientific expedition team boarded "Xue Long 2" a polar scientific research ship, set out from the domestic base wharf for a Chinese polar expedition in Shanghai, and went to the Antarctic to carry out scientific research.

▲"Xue Long 2" is on an expedition to the Antarctic (picture provided by Polar Research Institute of China, Ministry of Natural Resources)

Among China's 39th Antarctic scientific expedition team, three mechanicians from XGMA, Wang Ronghui, Xiao Guanqing and Zeng Yinggen, went on the expedition together with the team. With strong professional skills and a hardworking spirit, they were once again successfully selected by the Polar Research Institute of China. Among those manufacturers who participated in previous polar scientific expeditions, XGMA was an enterprise that dispatched the largest number of employees.

As veterans who participated in the Antarctic scientific expedition for multiple times, these three mechanicians were once again selected for China's Antarctic scientific research team. They demonstrate that the employees of XGMA always stay true to their original aspirations, have the courage to undertake heavy responsibilities, assist in Antarctic scientific research for 30 years, and dedicate themselves to serving the country.

In March 2022, ITG Holding reorganized CCRE, and XGMA officially became a member of ITG Holding together with the controlling shareholder CCRE.

Wang Ronghui is reported to have been to the Antarctic for five times and has performed the 30th, 33rd and 36th wintering tasks and the 34th summering task at Great Wall Station. This time he will perform the 39th wintering task at Zhongshan Station for 553 days. Xiao Guanqing is also a hero who has been to the Antarctic for five times. He has performed the 28th wintering task at Great Wall Station, the 33rd wintering task at Zhongshan Station, the 34th summering task at New Rose Sea Station, the 35th summering task at New Rose Sea Station, and the 36th wintering task at Zhongshan Station. This time he will perform the 39th summering task at New Rose Sea Station for 194 days. Zeng Yinggen has performed the 35th summering task at Taishan Station, the 35th wintering task at Zhongshan Station, the 36th summering task at Taishan Station, and the 39th summering task at Kunlun Station. This time he will step on the brilliant footprint of Gai Junxian, the Antarctic hero from XGMA, and head for the highest point of the Antarctic to perform the summering task at Kunlun Station in the Antarctic inland for 194 days. In addition, Xie Wenbi, another mechanician from XGMA who arrived at Zhongshan Station to perform wintering task last year, will perform the 39th summering task at New Rose Sea Station together with Xian Guanqing. Up till now, four mechanicians from XGMA will reside at four Chinese polar scientific research stations in the Antarctic continent and perform mechanical support tasks simultaneously.

Gai Zhenglei, Deputy Secretary of the Sales Party Branch of XGMA, went to Shanghai on behalf of the company and gave a send-off part to these three Antarctic heroes. In the activity room for party members of the "Xue Long" scientific research ship, Deputy Secretary Gai had a heart-to-heart talk with three heroes who were about to go on an expedition. In his opinion, the Antarctic scientific expedition is a glorious and sacred mission endowed by our country. It fully reflects the great trust of the State Oceanic Administration and relevant authorities in XGMA, and vividly demonstrates the dedication and patriotism of XGMA employees, as well as the superior quality of XGMA products in the extremely harsh natural environment.

▲XGMA wheel loader serving at the dedicated wharf for an Antarctic scientific expedition

He encouraged them to remember their mission and practice the ITG Holding's core values of “leading the first-class, being responsible, striving for excellence, and creating and sharing together” of China International Trade Group Holding Company and its “creating excellence culture”; He also urged them to carry forward the spirit of Gai Junxian, the Antarctic hero of XGMA and the national model worker, align with first-class technology and strive to become a pioneer and create excellence; The CEO emphasized the importance of maintaining a sense of mission, honor and responsibility, encouraged the mechanicians to demonstrate the good spirit and professional quality of XGMA employees on the expedition to Antarctic. He also called on them to set an example of Chinese craftsmen and make contributions to the course of the national polar scientific expedition.

During the meeting, Sun Bo, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Polar Research Institute of China, spoke with great familiarity about the relationship between XGMA employees and the Antarctic. From Gai Junxian, the pioneer and founder of Antarctic undertakings from XGMA, to these three young but seasoned XGMA mechanicians, XGMA's unremitting efforts to assist in China's polar scientific expedition in the past 30 years left a very deep impression on Sun Bo.

Secretary Sun highly affirmed the contributions made by XGMA employees to the national polar scientific expedition, the superior quality of XGMA products, as well as the excellent techniques, teamwork, and professional dedication of XGMA employees. He said that several generations of XGMA employees have contributed the best mechanicians and highest mechanical products, making XGMA a well-known national engineering machinery brand on the Antarctic continent, and effectively ensuring the success of each national polar scientific expedition.

So far, there are 13 sets of equipment in inventory that assisted in the Antarctic scientific expedition successively, including wheel loaders, crawler excavators and forklifts supplied by XGMA, and 20 mechanicians, have participated in Antarctic expeditions up to 40 times. As one of the representative independent national brands of engineering machinery, XGMA has been assisting the national Antarctic scientific expedition for 30 years since 1992.