China's independently designed and built research vessel, Da Yang Hao, set sail from a cruise terminal in southern China's Shenzhen on Friday to begin its scientific expedition mission in the southwest Indian Ocean, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The mission marks the country's 95th ocean expedition. A total of 36 researchers from 13 Chinese institutions are aboard, with the voyage expected to conclude in April 2026, after which the team will return to China.
Coordinated by the China Deep Ocean Affairs Administration and led by the Second Institute of Oceanography under the Ministry of Natural Resources, the expedition's primary operating area lies in the southwest Indian Ocean. It is the first international seabed sulphide mining area contracted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and China's only sulphide mining area in the international seabed.
The scientific expedition team will conduct comprehensive geological and ecological investigations in deep-sea hydrothermal areas, aiming to establish a real-time, multi-dimensional, and high-precision assessment framework for both the resource potential and ecological conditions in China's contract area.
"The exploration and environmental assessment of seafloor sulphides remain a global challenge. We are deploying independently developed high-tech equipment -- including seabed drilling rigs, in-situ observation and detection systems, and thickness profiling tools -- to conduct high-precision resource assessments in the mining area. This mission will also help advance China's deep-sea technological capabilities," said Tao Chunhui, a chief scientist of China's 95th ocean expedition.
"The data and samples we collect during this leg will be crucial for evaluating resource potential within our contract area, and will provide essential scientific support for future deep-sea mining operations," said Liao Shili, another chief scientist on the project.
Chinese research vessel departs for scientific expedition in southwest Indian Ocean
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
