China adds state-of-the-art marine science ship

QINGDAO, Shandong - China's most advanced marine science ship Xiang Yang Hong 01 went into service in the eastern port city of Qingdao on Saturday.

The 100 meter ship with displacement of 4,980 tonnes and a range of 15,000 nautical miles has plentiful remote sensing equipment to explore as deep as 10,000 meters.

The ship will conduct its first task in the Indian Ocean, said Qiao Fangli, Communist Party Secretary of the First Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration, the owner of the ship.

The ship is fully automated and can be piloted by a lone sailor. Satellite broadband enables video conferencing on board, said Yang Zhigang, board chairman of its builder Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group of Hubei province.