A Chinese deep-sea submersible is reported to have reached a depth of just over 7000 metres in the Mariana Trench.
Xinhua reports that the Jiaolong and its crew of three had made three previous dives in the area of the Challenger Deep, the deepest known part of all the world's oceans.
Xinhua reports that the vessel spent three hours on the ocean floor during one dive while the crew collected samples of water and sediment and took photographs.
Earlier this year, US film-maker James Cameron dived almost 11km in a submersible to the bottom of the Trench.
