Tianjin Ostar Underwater Vehicles Co Ltd., a maritime technology company, is planning the development of the first-ever manned submersibles for civilian use in China.
According to a senior executive, they will be working with Russian scientists on China's tourism submersibles, which are expected to be ready for the market by the end of 2017.
The maritime technology company stated that China's submersibles for civilians would be able to carry between 20 and 40 passengers at depths of up to 24 meters. It will be capable of performing flexible maneuvers in order to minimize the impact on underwater plant life, fishes and corals.
According to Zou Yongchunhe, the deputy general manager of the company, two of China's well-known tourism operators from Beibu Gulf in southern China and Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province have shown interest in the submersibles, which will help a lot in China's tourism industry.
Zou said: "My company and several Russian research institutes had established a new company--Ostar (Tianjin) Sino-Russia Joint Marine Technology Research Institute--to advance the project, which would be helpful to introduce advanced foreign technologies in manned submersibles to China."
"The development of the Belt and Road Initiative also represents an enormous opportunity for a company like us, seeking more interaction with Russia. Our products can also be used in popular tourist spots in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Greece and Turkey," he added.
China has a good track record when it comes to marine technological cooperation with Russia. Recent cooperation is in China's Jialong manned submersible, where Russia supplied a number of components.
Scientists from the two countries are currently working in a number of high technology marine fields such as sonar detectors and underwater robots.
"It is promising to introduce such technology to civil use," said Luo Jianbin, a dean at the Tianjin Research Institute for Advanced Equipment at Tsinghua University.
Luo has incubated eight scientific breakthroughs with Tianjin Ostar.