Chinese sub dives to record sea depths

Shanghai Daily News: Chinese sub dives to record sea depths

CHINA has used a small, manned submarine to plant the national flag deep beneath the South China Sea.

The underwater craft achieved the feat during 17 dives from May to July, when it went as deep as 3,759 meters below the South China Sea, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology and State Oceanic Administration.

It was the first time a Chinese submersible vehicle has gone that far below the surface, the ministry said. The submersible also set a record by operating underwater for 9 hours and 3 minutes, the ministry said.

It makes China the fifth country, following the United States, France, Russia and Japan, to have the technology for a manned dive farther than 3,500 meters below sea level.

The submersible, dubbed "Jiaolong," had three crew on board. "We went through strict selection and training procedures before we managed to get on board the submersible," said crew member Ye Cong. "The submersible is very convenient to maneuver and we operated it quite well under the water."

Initial success

Ye added: "I think we've only achieved initial success in the test. The future application of the vessel will be more remarkable than this test."

A submersible differs from a submarine because it typically depends on another vessel or facility for support.

"As the first manned vehicle designed to reach 7,000 meters below sea level in the world, the submersible can be used in 99.8 percent of the world's sea areas," said its chief designer, Xu Qinan.

"It represents the most advanced technology in deep-sea exploration."

Until now, manned submersibles could descend only to 6,500 meters below.

The submersible's "performance will be tested again in the future as we'll carry out 5,000-meter and 7,000-meter tests," Xu said.

China began to work on the ambitious ocean exploration program in 2002. About 100 research institutes and companies were involved in the program.

The submersible can play an important role in the deep-sea exploration of natural resources and polar research. It can be equipped for deep-sea natural resources inspections, as well as research and tests of equipment designed for deep-sea use, the ministry said.

The average ocean depth is 3,682 meters below sea level.