China is speeding up efforts to design and build a manned deep-sea platform to help it hunt for minerals in the South China Sea, one that may also serve a military purpose in the disputed waters.
The oceanic version of a space station would be located as much as 3,000 meters below the surface, according to a recent Science Ministry presentation viewed by Bloomberg. The project was mentioned in China's current five-year economic plan released in March and ranked number two on a list of the top 100 science and technology priorities.
Authorities recently examined the implementation of the project and decided to accelerate the process, according to the presentation.