China has recently announced a new deep-sea testing site off the coast of Hainan in the South China Sea. The site is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) off the coast, and marks another major step taken by China to expand its marine efforts in almost every way.

Chu Jun is the deputy director of the Marine Early Warning and Monitoring Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources. He recently told China Daily:

“Many maritime enterprises and institutions in our country have introduced novel equipment and products, necessitating immediate sea-based performance testing. As the only deep-sea testing site, the new one can facilitate scientific research, the development of investigative equipment and the exploration of renewable energy resources in the deep sea.”

The seafloor remains one of the least understood parts of our planet. Learning more about it has great potential for many areas of science and technology, and given the fact that it makes up a huge percentage of the Earth itself, it is always a good idea to study this area. Of course, there are also some downsides to the work that will be done at this new facility.

There is no doubt that this new platform will be used to test and improve mining operations that are conducted on the seafloor. Some people believe this is a very good thing since it will provide humans with access to key elements, including nickel, manganese, cobalt, and copper. Hans Smit, the chief executive of Oceans Minerals, which is a Florida-based deep-sea mining company, explained to The Guardian in 2021:

“We cannot increase land supplies of these metals without having a significant environmental impact. The only alternative lies in the ocean.”

On the other side of the argument, however, mining on the seafloor comes with some very serious ecological risks. The oceans are already being ruined by the dumping of trash, oil drilling, climate change, over-fishing, and many other manmade issues. Adding additional mining puts this vital resource at serious risk. Of course, if you ask the Chinese authorities about this, they would argue that this testing site will make it possible for mining to be done in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

This site isn’t just going to be used for the testing of new equipment. It will also serve as a key research hub for the region. It sits between 1300 and 1500 meters (4265 and 4921 feet) under the surface of the ocean, making it a unique area for research to be conducted. In the comment to China Daily, it was explained:

“Deep-sea regions are crucial strategic resource areas for countries around the world, and deep-sea manufacturing stands as the linchpin for advancing deep-sea exploration and exploitation. By closely aligning with diverse application scenarios reflecting real-world demands, this initiative strives to catalyze deep-sea industrial upgrades, hasten the development of new high-quality productive forces in the marine sector, and inject new momentum into the high-quality development of the marine economy.”

He went on to discuss how this facility can help China play a leadership role in growing the marine economy globally, saying:

“The construction of marine testing sites can provide the requisite environment and conditions for relevant enterprises and institutions to test their deep-sea equipment, so they could play a leading role in fostering the growth of the marine economy.”

As with most things in life, this facility will likely turn out to be a mix of good and bad for China, the Oceans, and the world. It is undeniable, however, that this will be an important facility for testing, research, and other activities for years to come.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about why we should be worried about the leak in the bottom of the ocean.