China and Chile wrap up Atacama Trench mission as US pressure mounts

2026.03.17 04:20 Scientists (from left) Du Mengran, Deng Yuqing and Osvaldo Ulloa in the manned submersible at Atacama Trench. Photo: Handout Chinese and Chilean scientists have reached the bottom of the Atacama Trench, where light does not penetrate, in what they called the “most ambitious” deep-sea expedition ever conducted in the eastern Pacific. The joint mission to one of the deepest ocean trenches – which runs parallel to the coasts of Peru and Chile – took place from January 19 to March 5. It comes as Chile’s expanding cooperation with China on science and technology has inflamed geopolitical tensions with the United States. Washington has in recent months raised concerns over China’s collaborations with South American countries, saying they could also have military purposes. Tensions escalated over the Humboldt submarine fibre-optic cable that will connect South America with Asia, resulting in Washington revoking visas for Chilean diplomats linked to the project. Chinese state-owned research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao hosted the Atacama Trench expedition and its operations were closely monitored by the Chilean Navy. No irregular activities were reported after it concluded in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso. The view from the bottom of the Atacama Trench. Photo: Handout Scientists on the expedition collected geological sediment samples that will be used to reconstruct environmental processes from up to 5 million years ago. They also studied organisms living in food-scarce environments that can survive for a week or even a month without feeding. The mission was led by researchers from the Millennium Institute of Oceanography at the University of Concepcion in Chile and the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their aim was to uncover the mysteries of one of the eastern Pacific’s deepest places. “It is an extremely challenging environment, with only 2 degrees Celsius [35 degrees Fahrenheit] and no light,” Mauricio

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