China's Jiaolong submersible upgraded with domestic components for future exploration phase

Domestically-produced components enable China's deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong to undergo a new round of upgrades, paving the way for its next phase of scientific exploration.

The latest round of upgrade, which began in November last year, focused on critical components that are domestically produced.

Jiaolong completed its first month-long trials on March 25, setting a new record by performing four "two-dives-a-day" missions - a feat made possible by its newly upgraded 7,000-meter-class high-energy-density oil-immersed lithium battery system.

"Before the upgrade, Jiaolong needed around 10 hours to recharge after each dive, which made frequent missions nearly impossible. Now, with the new lithium battery system, it takes just three to four hours to fully charge, enabling the submersible to dive again much sooner and more efficiently," said Zhang Yi, senior engineer and diver of the National Deep Sea Center of China.

The ascent, descent, and maneuvering of the Jiaolong depend on the thrusters at its tail.

The replacement of all thrusters in the latest upgrade increases the submersible's cruising speed from 2.5 nautical miles per hour to over three nautical miles per hour.

"Previously, all seven thrusters on the Jiaolong were imported. Now, we've upgraded them with domestically produced ones, boosting the thrust from 89 kg to over 100 kg," Zhang said. The upgraded 36x zoom 4K HD camera set in front of the Jiaolong can be used to observe the deep-sea environment, even enabling researchers to see the fine hairs on the tentacles of sea anemones.

"This round of upgrade includes significant enhancements to the energy supply, especially the batteries. The thrusters, both main and auxiliary ones, have been substantially improved. Additionally, the ascent and descent systems, including the water injection speed and flow rate, have been optimized. These advancements mark a pivotal step in enabling the Jiaolong to carry out more precise operations across a broader area. I think the upgrade is highly valuable and meaningful," said Li Jiabiao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The submersible has been put into new round of research missions. As scheduled, the Jiaolong is expected to complete more than 80 dives in 2025.

China's Jiaolong submersible upgraded with domestic components for future exploration phase

Both Chinese and British companies expect to deepen economic and trade cooperation across sectors, following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's call for stronger dialogue and deeper engagement between businesses and institutions in the UK and China at the opening ceremony of the UK-China Business Forum in Beijing.

Starmer pointed to what he described as "real progress" during his visit to China from Wednesday to Saturday, citing China's decision to cut tariffs on Scotch whisky. He also urged guests to strengthen exchanges and turn dialogue into practical cooperation.

The forum was co-organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the British government. It brought together more than 300 guests, including over 60 business and cultural delegates across different sectors accompanying the UK Prime Minister. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals were among the key focuses.

According to Wang Xingli, co-president of Fosun Pharma, China-UK cooperation in healthcare is moving beyond market access, toward cooperation across research, clinical development and manufacturing.

"With their science, our productivity, our technology know-how, as well as AI capabilities, I think we can produce big blockbuster drug together," said Wang.

Financial cooperation also featured prominently.

As a long-established global financial center, the UK plays a key role in international banking and capital markets, while China is expanding its cross-border financial services to support trade and investment with the world.

"We've already seen that London has become the biggest hub for RMB clearing offshore from China. The volumes today are tremendous, about 350 billion RMB's worth of trading and clearing that's going on through London," said Tim Skeet, chief institutional relationship officer at the London Branch of the Bank of China.

"All the major Chinese banks are represented in London, and similarly, most of the UK banks have a presence in China. So there's that cooperation between the two centers is very important for the mutuality of interest that we share in terms of the financing of trade, the financing of investment," said Brendan Nelson, group chairman of HSBC.

Chinese, British companies see great potential for cooperation in various sectors