Year of exploration to take Jiaolong to the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans

China will begin a global deep-sea scientific exploration mission with its Jiaolong manned deep-sea submersible starting in 2020, an official from the State Oceanic Administration said as the sub returned home on Friday.

Sun Shuxian, deputy director of the administration, told reporters at a news conference on Friday that the mission will begin around June 2020 and last about one year. It will cover the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, he said.

The grand mission is intended to strengthen China’s capability in surveying and researching the deep-sea environment and resources and will earn the nation a bigger say in this field, Sun said. The administration also regards it a gift for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in July 2021, he said. long’s Xiangyanghong 09.

The Xiangyanghong 09 returned to its home port, the National Deep-Sea Base in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Friday morning, conclud-