(ZHANG XUDONG)

China's manned submersible, the Jiaolong, is hoisted by its support ship for a deep-sea dive on July 3 to conduct geological sampling on complex terrain in the South China Sea.

China has kicked off a five-month recruitment process for oceanauts to serve on the submersible.

Four men and two women will be selected to train as oceanauts for the Jiaolong's future missions, said a National Deep Sea Center statement.