Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, is expected to dive in the South China Sea between April and May next year to conduct scientific research, a senior official said.

"The dive will mainly be to study the South China Sea's environment, including how the seabed has changed and how (the sea) has influenced the climate," Liu Feng, commander of the submersible's 7,000-meter project, told reporters on Sunday in Qingdao.

Liu said the deep sea offers scientists an important means of studying the Earth and the origin of human beings.

One or two scientists are expected to go on Jiaolong's voyage next year and collect hand samples, he added.

In a 7,000-meter dive project in June, Chinese scientists collected the deepest undersea samples ever assembled, recorded video footage and took photographs of the undersea world.

[email protected]