Chinese research ship completes deep-sea research mission in waters near Oceania

SANYA -- China's scientific research ship Tansuo 1 returned to the city of Sanya in south China's Hainan Province on Saturday, after completing its first international manned deep-diving scientific research mission in waters surrounding Oceania.

The vessel, carrying the deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe (Striver), began its mission in October 2022. It traveled for 157 days and sailed more than 22,000 nautical miles around Oceania, according to the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A total of 10 domestic and international organizations participated in the voyage. During the expedition, the Fendouzhe successfully completed 63 dives, four of which exceeded a depth of 10,000 meters.

The expedition team carried out the first international, large-scale and systematic manned deep-diving survey in the Kermadec Trench area of the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The team also reached the bottom of two abysses -- one of which was the Diamantina Trench in the southeastern Indian Ocean -- to collect samples of abyssal macroorganisms, rocks, concretions, sediments and water.