Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), China has made strides in deep-sea resource investigation and exploration, according to speakers at the China Marine Economy Expo 2025, held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province from Tuesday to Thursday.
Zhang Zhanhai, chairman of the council of the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association, noted that China has now established a comprehensive deep-sea exploration equipment system, spanning from surface-level technologies to seabed operations. He futher highlighted that manned submersibles such as Jiaolong and Fendouzhe have propelled the country's deep-diving capabilities to world-leading levels.
Supported by modern oceanographic research vessels such as Shenhai-1 and Dayang, the country has completed 93 ocean-going expeditions, with routes covering the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans, according to Zhang.
The official also noted that China has achieved a major breakthrough by mastering the core technologies of transoceanic, high-reliability submarine cable systems for deep-sea communication. The country has independently developed large-capacity, low-loss optical cables that enable deep-sea communication across 100,000 kilometers. This "submarine information artery" offers critical support for national information security and the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.
Another highlight during this period is China has also built the world’s largest deep-sea microbial resource bank, preserving nearly 30,000 strains of microorganisms. The country accounts for one-quarter of all newly discovered species globally. These resources have led to breakthrough applications in biomedicine and green agriculture, transforming deep-sea discoveries into new engines of industrial growth.
"During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has achieved many remarkable accomplishments that have attracted worldwide attention in the fields of deep-sea resource exploration, resource development and environmental protection. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, many new application scenarios have been provided for deep-sea scientific exploration, resource development and protection, supporting the deep-sea science and technology industry to achieve leapfrog development," said Zhang.
China's marine economy reached 10.5 trillion yuan (1.48 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2024, according to a report recently released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The report shows that in 2024, China deeply explored the potential of marine resources and continuously stimulated the vitality of the marine economy.
Among them, the three major marine economic circles in the north, east and south continue to expand their capacity. In 2024, the gross ocean product (GOP) of the three major marine economic circles was about 3.18 trillion yuan, 3.34 trillion yuan and 3.78 trillion yuan respectively, representing nominal growth of 33.1 percent, 37.7 percent and 33.3 percent compared with 2020.
A total of 16 marine economic development demonstration zones have carried out deeper innovative exploration and promoted high-quality development of the marine economy.
China’s deep-sea breakthroughs drive marine economy expansion during 14th Five-Year Plan
