China's deep-sea research vessel "Tan Suo Yi Hao" (Discovery One) set sail this week from Valparaiso, Chile to conduct a joint science exploration of the Atacama Trench, which stretches nearly 6,000 kilometers, reaching depths of over 8,000 meters, under the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
A launch ceremony was held on Monday aboard the "Discovery One", which is carrying China's manned deep-sea submersible "Fendouzhe" (Striver).
In November 2020, "Fendouzhe" completed a month-long expedition, reaching a record depth of 10,909 meters, in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, one of the deepest spots on the planet.
The submersible can operate and collect samples in extreme high-pressure, deep-sea environments, and is equipped with multiple high-resolution cameras that can record images from different angles, providing key technical support for deep-sea scientific research.
The Atacama Trench expedition is being jointly conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering and the University of Concepcion in Chile.
The expedition aims to study the biodiversity and chemosynthetic ecosystems in the rarely-explored Atacama Trench, the longest undersea trench in the world.
"The joint scientific expeditions help deepen our understanding of the geological, biological and chemical processes on the seabed of the Atacama Trench," said Rodrigo Gonzalez, a representative from the Department of Science and Technology in Valparaiso.
"Chile is a country that has more sea than land territory. We hope that such cooperative experiences can be further expanded in more fields, and help Chile and China continue to carry out broader cooperation," said Tomas Rementeria, a Chilean senator.
China, Chile embark on joint research mission to Atacama Trench
Nobel laureate economist Christopher Pissarides said that new technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), could be a solution for labor gaps, highlighting areas like elderly care where AI could bring real benefits.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) at the 2026 World Economic Forum, Pissarides, who is also Regius Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, said countries with aging populations could help solve the "silver challenge" by developing new technologies.
"You are resilient in China, more than some European countries. Now China has what you call 'the silver challenge', so there's a gap in the middle. It's not a big concern actually in my view, because the new technologies could be developed in a way that you don't need so much labor. You could develop new technologies in a way to work together with people, but not requiring as many people to do it, you could manage the demographic transition that way," he said.
This year sees China begin its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period and Pissarides said China was well positioned to maximize the opportunities that AI and new technology will bring in the years ahead.
"The key to success actually is to apply AI in a way that is more conducive to economic development, and collaboration between the AI technologies and human labor, human capital. That will enhance the capabilities of human capital. It will become more productive, it will improve the well-being of the workforce, and it would generally give you a high-income country with a high level of life and job satisfaction," he said.
Pissarides said the green transformation is ever more crucial for long-term sustainability, and he applauded China for its keen focus on developing smart, green technology.
Under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue," the 2026 WEF meeting opened on Monday in Davos and will run through Friday. About 3,000 leaders and experts from around the world are gathering to discuss five pressing global challenges, including enhancing cooperation, unlocking new sources of growth and deploying innovation at scale and responsibly.
Nobel economist says AI could help bridge labor gaps in aging populations
