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Summary Experts say China intends to use the submersible for scientific research.
A Chinese submersible set a new record for the countrys deepest ever dive on Friday, descending 6,000 metres (19,685 feet) in the Pacific Ocean, the official Xinhua news agency said.It was the first in a series of six dives the Jiaolong craft is due to make, culminating in dives of 7,000 metres in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, Xinhua said.The vessel -- named after a dragon from Chinese mythology -- reached 5,188 metres in a Pacific Ocean dive last July, the previous record.Experts say China intends to use the submersible for scientific research, such as collecting samples of undersea life and studying geological structures, as well as future development of mineral resources.Earlier this year, American film director James Cameron descended about seven miles (11 kilometres) to the bottom of the Mariana Trench -- the deepest place in the world.His effort is believed to have at least equalled the record for the deepest manned dive, set by a US Navy officer and a Swiss oceanographer in 1960, according to Guinness World Records.
