China's first privately funded scientific research vessel, Haiying Jiake, is launched in Wenling's Songmen town, Zhejiang province, on May 5, 2026. XU WEIJIE/FOR CHINA DAILY

China's first privately funded scientific research vessel, Haiying Jiake, was launched in Wenling's Songmen town, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. The 82-meter vessel, financed by a group of 37 local fishermen with an investment of about 150 million yuan ($21.9 million), has a range of 10,000 nautical miles and is designed for multidisciplinary research in open waters.