China announces effort to probe Mariana Trench

China's new manned submersible, Shenhai Yongshi, on board the exploration ship Tansuo 1, returns to port on Oct 3 in Sanya, Hainan province, after completing deep-sea testing in which it reached a depth of 4,500 meters. [Photo/Xinhua]

China has made an all-out effort to explore every frontier in science and technology, from stars in outer space to elements in an atom.

Now, Chinese scientists are determined to probe the secrets of the deepest parts of oceans as they are developing a manned submersible capable of reaching the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, the deepest trench known to man.

To the best of scientific knowledge, the deepest portion of the trench is 11,034 meters.

The submersible, which has yet to be named, is being designed at the China Ship Scientific Research Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and will conduct its first trial operation in the coming five years according to Wang Junli, deputy director of science and technology at China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, the world's largest shipbuilder and parent company of the center.

Wang told a news briefing held by CSIC on Tuesday after its annual work conference in Beijing the submersible will be able to operate in any ocean area and will be piloted by several crew members.

Preliminary design for the deep-sea craft has been finished and engineers have begun to develop major devices on it, Wang noted, adding most of its equipment will be domestically developed.

Currently, the nation operates two manned deep-sea submersibles — Jiaolong and Shenhai Yongshi, or "Deep-Sea Warrior". Both were designed and built by CSIC.