In the deep ocean, China stands out

Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, is lowered for a dive on Tuesday. The dive completed the third and final stage of China's 38th oceanic expedition in the Yap Trench in the Pacific Ocean. [Photo/Xinhua]

Submersible completes its tasks on Earth's final frontier

From extracting methane from the bottom of the sea to exploring trenches with submersibles, China is pushing forward technology and research on all fronts to unravel the mysteries of the deep.

Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, took its final dive in the Yap Trench on Tuesday, completing the third stage of the country's 38th oceanic expedition.

The craft reached a depth of 6,681 meters at 10:15 am, carrying three people. It returned to the mother ship－Xiangyanghong 09－at about 5 pm.

The Yap Trench is at the southern tip of the Mariana Trench－the deepest valley in the ocean－about 200 kilometers southwest of Guam. The Mariana's deepest section drops 11 km below the surface; the Yap's deepest is 8.5 km.