Chinese divers set a national record with a dive of 313.5 meters in the South China Sea using the saturation diving technique on Sunday.

The technique, which allows safe deep dives, has been developed to increase the country's capability to conduct offshore rescues.

Wang Zhenliang, director of the China Rescue and Salvage of the Ministry of Transport, told Xinhua News Agency on Sunday that development of the saturation diving system will help the country handle emergencies in offshore resources exploration quickly and effectively, especially on offshore oil drilling platforms.