A Chinese research ship has embarked on a deep-sea expedition with an international team on board, heading to the western Pacific on a mission to explore the ocean’s depths in one of the most advanced Chinese submersibles. China is in a race with the West to develop its maritime and marine exploration abilities. It aspires to lead global oceanic studies and exploration missions in a range of fields, from deep-sea mining to intelligence. In 2020, China’s Striver submersible, designed to dive more than 10,900 metres, reached the deepest known spot in the Mariana Trench. Are Chinese missions a threat to America’s dominance ?