China's Jiaolong submersible completed it's 14th dive of the 2024 Western Pacific Expedition on Friday, marking the successful conclusion of the international dive work on this voyage, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
With eight foreign scientists and three scientists from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) aboard, Jiaolong deep-sea manned submersible dived toward six seamounts and one ocean basin in the Western Pacific.
"The scientific expedition team members on this voyage come from 9 countries and regions. Everyone has their own expertise in ocean biology, marine geology and other aspects. We jointly try to promote international cooperative research on deep-sea biodiversity and achieve sustainable development," said Qiu Jianwen, co-chief Scientist of the 2024 Western Pacific Expedition.
According to the scientific expedition team, the seamounts in the Western Pacific have high biodiversity, with significant differences in the distribution of species and composition of organisms on different sides of seamounts and in different water depths.
Many deep-sea cold-water coral forests and sponge fields have been discovered, and the dominant biological groups are eight-flowered corals and glass sponges.
In the next period of time, the scientist representatives and crew members of the 2024 Western Pacific Expedition team will also hold"Deep Sea Classroom" on campus and science popularization activities with primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong SAR and Qingdao via video link.
China's Jiaolong submersible completes 14th dive of 2024 Western Pacific Expedition
China's Jiaolong submersible completes 14th dive of 2024 Western Pacific Expedition
China's Jiaolong submersible completes 14th dive of 2024 Western Pacific Expedition
China's private enterprises are embracing emerging technologies and industries, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the low-altitude economy, to reduce costs, enhance benefits, and drive their growth.
The declining cost of AI applications has fueled a surge in demand for the technology within the private enterprise sector, with some companies leveraging it as a powerful tool to reduce labor costs.
"Of course, I'd like to fully embrace AI. We have already laid a solid foundation in utilizing AI technology for clearing goods both online and offline, managing inventory, and forecasting orders. Large language models have made significant breakthroughs in managing the entire supply chain, including nighttime sales and eliminating the need for night shift personnel," said Zhang Wenzhong, founder of Wumart Group, a leading Chinese retailer and supermarket chain.
In addition, private enterprises are actively exploring the low-altitude economy, as the research and development of low-altitude aircraft, the creation of low-altitude logistics application scenarios, and the construction of new infrastructure show great potential.
One of these companies is Zall Holding Co., Ltd., which primarily invests in advanced manufacturing, modern services, and other related industries.
"It is expected that domestically produced light aircraft will go into production in 2025. We have also invested in the research and development of airships, with the first test flight successfully conducted at the end of last year. I believe that 2025 will truly be the inaugural year for industrial applications in the low-altitude economy," said Yan Zhi, chairman of Zall Holdings Co., Ltd.
Meanwhile, private enterprises in traditional manufacturing are exploring overseas industrial chain markets, aiming to seize potential opportunities in emerging growth markets.
"Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are all growth markets. Going overseas requires achieving synergy within the industrial chain and forming complementary, coordinated development with the industries of host countries. We should explore overseas markets through collaboration, leveraging each other's strengths for mutual benefit," said Ding Liguo, president of Shanghai Delong Steel Group Co., Ltd.
China's private enterprises embrace emerging industries to boost growth