The 2016 Annual Conference of 973 Project–Antarctic Survey Telescopes was held on 23rd through 25th in Xi’an，Shanxi province. This conference was sponsored by the Antarctic astronomical Center of Purple Mountain Observatory (CAS)，and hosted by Director Wang Lifan。

Almost 50 experts and researchers who were from National Natural Science Foundation of China，Advanced science and Education Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences，Tsinghua University，National Astronomical Observatory，Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics& Technology，Purple Mountain Observatory，Nanjing University，Shanghai Observatory，Polar Research Institute of China，Beijing Normal University，Institute of high energy physics (CAS)，Xiamen University etc，were Attended the annual conference。

This 973 project has 6 programs which all points to a main program–the Antarctic Survey Telescopes。The leaders of these programs reported their research progress and results。All the directors and experts at the conference fully affirmed the achievements of the current research of the 973 project。

They all agreed that it has acquired significant technological breakthroughs considering the development of the Antarctic Survey Telescope AST3-2 and it’s also met some of the scientific needs under the Antarctic extreme environment。

Meanwhile the scientific observation and operation were evaluated by the group of experts。After the further data analysis，it’s showed that the available observation data has important scientific significance。

Expert group also expressed understanding of the difficulties encountered in the current project，and gave some advices of the development direction of the project in the future to carry out。

In the conference，the experts also said that the 973-group should continue to strengthen the international cooperation，especially the exchange and cooperation with the Australian astronomers to promote the research of the infrared CCD cameras，make full use of the advantages of dome A to strive to have a good scientific output in the future observation，and use the available data in time to contribute the flash point of science for successfully completing the project next year。

In the end，Academician Cui Xiangqun encouraged all not to give up such a project which would be wonderful in the future because of the temporary difficulties and the dark，hoped that the group should keep trying and actively promote the construction and operation of the Antarctic Observatory。