China's manned deep-sea submersible Jiaolong has completed a significant upgrade and started underwater trials, according to the country's Ministry of Natural Resources.
The China-made underwater ship, named after a mythical sea dragon, is capable of diving to depths exceeding 7,000 meters. It has completed over 300 dives since its maiden mission in August 2009 and explored waters in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.
This latest upgrade, which began in November last year, aims to enhance its capabilities and support more frequent deep-sea missions.
According to the National Deep Sea Base Management Center, the upgrade focuses on critical components like the propulsion system and battery packs.
The propulsion system has been adjusted structurally to increase the speed from 2.5 to over three nautical miles per hour, with the replacement of three-bladed propellers with more efficient four-bladed versions.
The zinc-silver battery pack has been replaced with high-energy-density flexible lithium battery pack, which aims to improve the power reserve and reduce diving costs.
The submersible's observation capabilities have also been enhanced. An array of cameras, including high-definition video cameras and powerful lighting systems, are equipped to facilitate underwater exploration and resource assessment.
Further upgrades include two more LED light arrays at the front and three more lights at the rear and bottom, expanding the submersible's detection range and improving its ability to locate specific targets.
"This upgrade prioritizes enhancing our operational tools. We've upgraded the electrical systems, propulsion, mechanical components, observation, and communications equipment to cater to the needs of deep-sea exploration and improve operational efficiency," said Qi Haibin, a submersible pilot.
Following the underwater trials to test its stability, Jiaolong will undergo sea trials in the South China Sea in March to validate its enhanced capabilities.
"Jiaolong will be sent to the South China Sea to conduct deep-sea equipment verification. After completing the process, there will be extensive missions ahead of us," Qi said.
The submersible is scheduled for further scientific expeditions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans later this year.
China's manned deep-sea submersible completes major upgrade, prepares for exploration
The newly established China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in north China will help improve the country's opening-up landscape and support high-quality development, while injecting more certainty into a volatile world, says a China Media Group commentary published on Saturday.
An edited English version of the commentary is as follows:
In China's opening-up drive, a new chapter has started. With the release of a plan for the establishment of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the total number of China's pilot FTZs has risen to 23. International observers believe that in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the addition of a new pilot FTZ will further improve China's opening-up framework featuring coordination between land and sea, and mutual reinforcement between eastern and western regions, which will not only help drive high-quality development, but also inject more certainty into a world marked by turbulence and change.
Why is the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region selected for the new pilot FTZ? The first reason lies in its unique geographic advantages. Historically, Inner Mongolia served as a key hub along the "Grassland Silk Road" and the "Tea Road". Today, it is a key node in Belt and Road cooperation and the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor. With a border stretching over 4,200 kilometers and 20 ports, the autonomous region links eight provinces at home and serves as a gateway to Eurasia, giving it natural advantages for opening up to the north.
What's more, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also has a solid foundation for opening up. It currently maintains trade ties with 201 countries and regions globally, with trade with Belt and Road Initiative partner countries accounting for 78.6 percent of its total foreign trade.
Data showed that in 2025, the region's total imports and exports reached 220.67 billion yuan, hitting a record high, with growth 2.6 percentage points higher than the national average.
The plan proposes to build the Inner Mongolia Pilot Free Trade Zone into a center for information exchanges, transport and logistics, allocation of factors and resources, sci-tech innovation and industrial cooperation in key fields, linking domestic and international markets and radiating to surrounding regions.
Specifically, the Inner Mongolia pilot FTZ comprises three subzones in Hohhot, Manzhouli and Erenhot — each tasked with differentiated functions based on their respective strengths.
The subzone in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, will serve as a central hub, focusing on developing distinctive industries and strategic emerging industries.
The subzone in Manzhouli, a northern border city, will develop distinctive industries such as cross-border tourism and port services, building itself into an important window to Northeast Asia and Europe.
The subzone in Erenhot, a land port on the China-Mongolia border, will focus on developing industries such as international trade and act as a key node of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor.
The establishment of the Inner Mongolia pilot FTZ is the latest move in China's sustained push for reform and opening-up. Since the launch of the Shanghai pilot FTZ in September 2013, after more than a decade of exploration and development, China's pilot FTZ network has formed a new opening-up landscape covering the east, west, south, north and central regions, as well as coordinating coastal, inland and border areas.
The new pilot FTZ boasts abundant energy, agricultural, and livestock resources, as well as emerging growth drivers such as green computing power and the digital economy. These will provide more diversified investment options for global capital and offer broader market opportunities and a better business environment for companies worldwide.
Meanwhile, amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and rising global logistics risks, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as the only provincial-level region in China hosting both the eastern and central corridors of the China-Europe freight train network, is seeing its role as a "golden corridor" become increasingly prominent.
The region handled a total of 9,557 China-Europe freight train trips in 2025, up 16.9 percent year on year and accounting for nearly half of the national total.
Following its establishment, the Inner Mongolia pilot FTZ will deepen economic and trade cooperation with neighboring regions through institutional opening-up, to further facilitate the "golden corridor" connecting China, Mongolia, Russia and Europe, and provide a more resilient trade route for the world.
More importantly, as certain countries pursue unilateralism and protectionism, China continues to refine the layout of its pilot FTZs and deepen institutional opening-up, setting a strong example for others.
This also demonstrates that despite rising undercurrents of de-globalization, advancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation remains the shared aspiration of people worldwide and a necessity for the world.
China's new Inner Mongolia pilot FTZ boosts opening-up, adds certainty: commentary
