Program aims to increase knowledge of two oceans

China will launch a national program to push forward oceanic research in the Pacific and Indian oceans in the next 15 years, as part of the country's ongoing efforts to protect its maritime interests and boost the sector.

The program, called the National Program on Global Change and Air-Sea Interaction, aims to enhance the country's capacity to cope with marine natural disasters induced by climate change, including typhoons and tsunamis, according to the State Oceanic Administration.

"We need our scientists to go farther into the deep ocean to push forward our understanding of the two oceans that so deeply influence our country," said Lei Bo, director of the administration's science and technology department, at a work conference on Thursday.