A ceremony has been held at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai to launch a new Chinese deep sea research vessel, reports iqilu.com.

"Dong Fang Hong 3", 103-meter in length, 18-meters wide, can accommodate 110 people. The Chinese-developed and built ship contains a 600 square meter laboratory. It's able to travel some 15,000 nautical miles without making a port-of-call.

Equipped with internationally advanced shipping and scientific equipment, the "Dong Fang Hong 3" is designed for maritime scientific research.

It's due to be delivered in a year's time to Chinese authorities. Officials say it represents a milestone in China's maritime resource development and environmental protection, as well as provide more support for China in the country's international maritime research.