China's deep-sea drilling capacity reaches 5,000 meters after mission in South China Sea

China's Mengxiang (Dream) ocean drilling vessel has set a national record for deep-sea drilling capacity, reaching 5,000 meters after obtaining basalt samples from the South China Sea basin, the Ministry of Natural Resources said on Monday.

This marks China's entry into the international ranks of advanced deep-sea drilling operators, according to the ministry.

A 4.27-meter basalt sample was extracted during a 30-day voyage using a self-developed drill, making China the third country after the United States and Japan to obtain hard rock samples from a deep ocean basin using drilling vessels.

"From our current position, we drilled down 4,929.17 meters, extracting 109 meters of core with a 61.7 percent recovery rate. Meanwhile, we retrieved about 4.3 meters of basalt core samples at a depth of around 4,300 meters. This validates the superiority of the light-tonnage, modular, and multi-functional design philosophy of the Mengxiang vessel, proving its versatile capability to handle both oil and gas exploration and core sampling," said Wang Mingxin, an engineer with the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey and also team leader of the drilling department at the Mengxiang vessel.

The research team conducted a long-term and high-intensity operation of shipborne remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), deploying two ROVs to operate for over 358 hours in total at a depth of 4,000 meters, with a single continuous operation lasting up to 103 hours, reaching internationally advanced levels.

Following the International Ocean Discovery Program standards for the first time, researchers also completed on-site multi-parameter processing and analysis of the samples, including cataloging, cutting, scanning, testing, and storage, thereby mastering full-process operational capabilities for ultra-deep-water ocean scientific drilling.

The samples and data obtained during the voyage provide crucial empirical evidence for addressing core scientific issues such as the expansion of the South China Sea. They are also significant for studying the evolution of the ancient marine environment and for exploring and developing ultra-deep-water energy resources, researchers noted.

"The sediment was initially black and rich in organic matter, indicating a sudden die-off of marine organisms and the subsequent dissolution of their calcareous shells. It later turned green, signaling a partial recovery of oxygen levels despite remaining hypoxic, and eventually turned red, indicating an oxygen-rich environment. This is highly significant for helping us understand the scale and duration of extinction events triggered by massive magma eruptions," said Sun Zhen, a researcher at the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey and chief scientist of the voyage.

A total of 170 researchers from nine institutions participated in the voyage, which was organized by the China Geological Survey and implemented by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey.

China's first domestically built ocean drilling vessel, Mengxiang, was officially commissioned in 2024.

China's deep-sea drilling capacity reaches 5,000 meters after mission in South China Sea

A number of university students in the U.S. capital have shared their views on China's initiative to invite 100,000 young Americans to visit the country for exchanges and study over the next five years.

The program was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping when addressing a welcome ceremony at the White House during his visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday.

Many of the students interviewed expressed their hope to visit some well-known places in China like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.

"My dad's been to China for work, and he really loves it, so I'd love to go sometime. Maybe Shanghai. That's where my dad went, and he really liked it there," said a student.

"I've heard of Guangdong. I've heard of the basketball team," another student said.

Many of the students agreed that allowing more young Americans to experience Chinese culture in person would be beneficial for both countries.

"I think that's really cool to have the opportunity to connect with those cultures. And I really do like that idea. I think it's a great idea to invite us to China. It's great," said a student.

"I feel like the culture. I feel like getting the opportunity to immerse yourself in different cultures is really important," said another student.

"There's definitely value in traveling to other places and learning other cultures. So I think that it can be beneficial," said another one.

Even beyond cultural exchange, the students expressed their beliefs that American youth could learn a lot from Chinese society.

"I think, for me personally, it's the scale, with how many people live in China. I would definitely be interested in seeing how that functions, especially in those larger cities," said a student.

"I think I would like to know what their people are like. What are their thoughts on the world? On what the world should be like?" one student said.

"I think China's amazing. They're so far ahead. We're supposed to be the Western world, but I feel like they're so much more advanced than us in so many ways. I know AI and medicine are big things right now, and I think China has made huge advancements in that. So probably that," said a student.

The students also hope that the program will help strengthen China-U.S. relationship, promote educational exchanges, and broaden the horizons of those who take part.

"It's better for both countries to be connected and to build a better relationship over the coming years. And I think that's important to global peace and prosperity," said a student.

"I think it's really a great thing. I think different cultures, combining different cultures, and education is such a global thing, and having different students come all over the place and take classes here and there," said another student.

"There's a lot more to this world than what's right in front of us. And there's a lot to learn from different ways of seeing things around the world. So I think it could be valuable from that standpoint," a student said.

US students share views on China's plan to invite 100,000 young people for study, exchange