The past decade has witnessed an unprecedented development of deep-sea science and technology in China. If the pace will be kept for the coming decade, China will enter the global frontiers in deep-sea exploration with historical contributions to the world science. The deep sea is the largest habitat on the planet, yet its eternal darkness and hostile environment present tremendous challenges to the deep-sea developers. Since China has reached a crossroads in its deep-sea research, it is essential to learn from the history in planning and its implementation, and to avoid the pitfalls on the journey.

deep-sea science  /  deep-sea technology  /  deep-sea resources  /  South China Sea