China marks largest Arctic foray with first manned deep dive below polar ice

China has completed its first manned deep dive below the Arctic polar ice in what was also the world’s first coordinated crewed-uncrewed submersible operation in the polar region.

The dives were conducted as part of China’s 15th and largest Arctic Ocean science expedition, which concluded last month.

Researchers collected hundreds of deep-sea samples as well as data on biodiversity, ocean hydrology, sea ice conditions and water chemistry – including with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The expedition saw several Chinese research vessels travel north of Alaska, drawing attention from the United States, which has expressed concerns over China’s growing presence in the Arctic region.

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Chinese scientists conduct ‘crucial’ expedition in the Arctic Ocean

Chinese scientists conduct ‘crucial’ expedition in the Arctic Ocean

The fleet included China’s first domestically built polar research icebreaker, the Xue Long 2; the icebreaker Jidi, the research vessel Tansuo 3 and the research ship Shenhai 1 carrying the Jiaolong manned submersible.