In October 2022, two ancient shipwrecks were discovered on the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea. The breathtaking CGTN documentary "Silk Road Sunken Treasures" traces back these unfinished voyages.
In October 2022, the Shenhai Yongshi spotted the remains of two merchant ships, resting 1,500 meters deep on the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea. They are known as Shipwreck 1 and Shipwreck 2.
"Underwater, we could see clearly that the ship began to tilt. Large objects were drifting to the seabed like falling leaves to the bottom of the sea," said Xin Lixue, director of China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea.
"For example, perhaps the upper part of its hull was damaged as it sank. The moment it hit the seabed, the impact was strong, which perhaps caused implosions. As a result, the upper parts of the structure were hurled outward," said Deng Qijiang, director of the Institute of Underwater Archaeology under the National Center for Archaeology.
Shipwreck 1 is estimated to have over 100,000 pieces of relics. Its site area is over 10,000 square meters.
The orthophotos can clearly show Shipwreck 1. The outline of the ship reveals a dense pile of cargo. Around the wreck is a ring-shaped area of artifacts, and a tail-like area, 300 meters long and 50 meters wide, containing scattered objects.
Research suggests Shipwreck 1 dates from the Zhengde Emperor period, sometime between 1506 and 1521. It mainly contains export porcelain wares, roughly more than 100,000 pieces.
Shipwreck 2 is earlier, from the Hongzhi Emperor period, between 1488 and 1505. There is a large amount of imported ebony. Both reflect the prosperity of maritime trade during the mid-Ming Dynasty. Each vessel contained many different valuables. Yet so far, no human remains have been found.
"Behind each sunken ship is a shipwreck accident, a sad story," Xin said.
"I went on a long voyage to strive for a better life. I endured the drifting and loneliness on the sea, but I could no longer see my family members. I set out with full hope. In the end, I can never return home. I feel sad when I think of this aspect," said Feng Wanli, chief assistant of the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Xin Lixue says that China mastered watertight compartment technology over 700 years earlier than the West. China was advanced in both shipbuilding techniques and navigation skills. But no one can control the weather.
"The South China Sea experiences the monsoon season from May to December every year. Typhoons may occur at any time during this period. After the northeast monsoon sets in around November, large ships are able to set sail. They will return in May or June the following year. This is an advantage brought about by the monsoon. There are no islands or reefs within a 100-kilometer radius of the shipwrecks. So, these two ships were likely to have encountered a storm and sank," Xin said.
CGTN documentary traces unfinished voyages on ancient Silk Road
CGTN documentary traces unfinished voyages on ancient Silk Road
The halt in Russian gas transit through Ukraine has heightened fears over supply shortages and soaring energy costs in Europe.
Both Ukraine and Russia announced the stoppage of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine's territory to Europe on Wednesday, pushing some EU countries to resort to costlier energy alternatives.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday said that the halt will have "severe consequences for all of us in the European Union (EU), but will not harm Russia".
Fico said that Slovakia stands to lose hundreds of millions of euros in gas transit fees, while its citizens will face higher gas and electricity bills. He criticized major EU nations for prioritizing geopolitical goals at the expense of smaller countries' interests and needs.
On the same day, Slovakia's gas importer, SPP, announced that it has contingency plans in place to ensure gas supplies through alternative channels, such as utilizing pipelines from Germany and Hungary. However, this will incur additional transit fees.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said Wednesday that it has stopped gas supply for transit through Ukraine due to expiration of key agreements and the lack of renewal by the Ukrainian side.
The agreements, signed on Dec. 30, 2019, included a contract between Gazprom and Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz on the transportation of Russian gas through the Ukrainian territory, and a cooperation agreement between the operators of the two countries' gas transmission systems. These agreements officially expired at 08:00 Moscow time Wednesday, Gazprom said on Telegram.
Gazprom said Ukraine had repeatedly and unequivocally refused to extend these agreements, leaving the Russian company without the technical and legal means to continue gas transit through Ukraine.
Consequently, the supply of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory stopped at 08:00 Moscow time Wednesday, it added.
On the same day, Ukraine's Ministry of Energy reported that the transit of Russian natural gas through its gas transmission system was stopped at 07:00 Kyiv time Wednesday. The decision was made in the interest of national security, the ministry said, noting that Ukraine had informed its international partners about this in the prescribed manner.
Chinese analysts pointed out that Slovakia, being highly dependent on Russian gas transported via Ukraine, is the European country most affected by the supply halt.
"As the distance to alternative European gas pipelines is relatively far, Slovakia, heavily dependent on Russian gas transiting through Ukraine, is among the worst-hit countries. With the disruption of this route, Slovakia faces the greatest direct impact in terms of energy security and gas supply," said Cui Hongjian, professor at the Institute of Regional and Global Governance, Beijing Foreign Studies University.
Slovakia may need to spend an additional 500 million to one billion euros annually on gas imports, Cui said.
Cui further analyzed that some European countries had anticipated difficulties in sustaining gas cooperation between Ukraine and Russia and sought alternative solutions in advance. Hungary, for instance, is expected to rely more on gas supplies from the "TurkStream" and "South Stream" pipelines passing through Türkiye.
Cui noted that the search for alternative energy sources will intensify competition among European countries.
"Whether it's Slovakia or other European countries, the breakdown of natural gas cooperation with Russia forces them to seek alternatives. However, this process will further exacerbate competition among them. Over the past few days, the potential disruption of gas transit via Ukraine has already caused natural gas prices, as well as electricity prices, to continue rising across Europe," said Cui.
He said that European nations will have to bear the bruise of higher energy costs, at least for this winter.
Russian gas transit halt heightens fears over energy crisis in Europe
