Submersible sets record for distance

China's newest ocean craft goes 156.8 kilometers, exceeding goal

China's newest unmanned submersible, Qianlong 3, completed a journey of 156.8 kilometers during its second test dive in the South China Sea recently, setting a national record for the longest voyage by an underwater craft, a scientist said on Monday.

Qianlong 3 began its trip by plunging some 3,850 meters on Saturday. After about 43 hours, on Sunday evening, it finished its journey and was retrieved by crew members aboard the Chinese research vessel Dayang Yihao, Xu Yijun, the craft's deputy chief engineer, told Xinhua News Agency.