Chinese research ship on maiden voyage to South China Sea amid distrust by neighbours

The Shiyan 6 geophysical and seismic survey ship left Guangzhou on Monday for assignment in the estuary of the Pearl River and northern South China Sea

The ship will improve China’s ability to develop resources and safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, according to state media

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Construction started on the Shiyan 6 in November 2018 and it is now reported to be the most advanced medium-sized research ship in China. Photo: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Published: 9:00pm, 6 Sep 2021Updated: 11:48pm, 6 Sep 2021

One of China’s most advanced new research ships has headed to the South China Sea on its maiden voyage as Beijing boosts exploration in the resource-rich waters despite distrust by its neighbours.

The Shiyan 6, or Experiment 6, geophysical and seismic survey ship left a port in Guangzhou on Monday for “key scientific tasks” in the estuary of the Pearl River in Guangdong province and the northern part of the South China Sea, state-owned Science and Technology Daily reported.

Scientists and researchers, led by Du Yan of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, would study hydrodynamics, material transport and ecological response processes in the waters near the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the nearby Pearl River run-off, state-owned broadcaster CGTN reported.

Construction started on the Shiyan 6 in November 2018 and the vessel is now reported to be the most advanced medium-sized research ship in China, its on-board laboratories allowing researchers to process and analyse samples and send data to colleagues on land via satellite.

Hailed as “the main force in China’s scientific research fleet in the South China Sea and its adjacent waters”, the launch of the ship would improve China’s capacity to develop marine resources, oil, gas, minerals and biogenetic resources to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, CGTN reported.

With a total investment of 500 million yuan (US$77 million), the vessel can carry a crew of up to 60, has a displacement of 3,990 tonnes and can spend up to 60 days at sea, covering some 12,000 nautical miles.

It can also carry out research offshore and in waters near small islands and reefs in the South China Sea and can be used to collect data on topography, landforms, currents, and biomes in extreme environments such as deep trenches.