China is all set to take things to another level by designing and building a manned deep-sea lab to hunt for minerals in the South China Sea. The oceanic "space station" will also double up as a military station in the disputed waters. To be located 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) below the surface, the project was mentioned in China's five-year economic plan released back in March. It is also number two on the list of the top 100 science and technology priorities. A station like this hasn't been attempted this deep in the sea before. According to experts, manned submersibles have gone to such depths for almost 50 years now but the real challenge would be to sustain operations for months at a time.

This has led the U.S to send ships.

The United States has also started sending ships from its Seventh Fleet to ensure the freedom of passage through an area that witnesses about $5.3 trillion of global trade every year. Last month, president Xi Jinping speaking at a national science conference said, "The deep sea contains treasures that remain undiscovered and undeveloped, and in order to obtain these treasures we have to control key technologies in getting into the deep sea, discovering the deep sea, and developing the deep sea."

Although natural resources remain the intention behind building such a massive station in the sea, the platform will also apparently be movable and be used for military purposes when deemed necessary. China has even proposed to build an "Underwater Great Wall Project" to detect Russian and U.S submarines.

Why is this a big deal?

Analysts believe the South China Sea holds huge potential for oil and gas reserves. In fact, the U.S Energy Information Administration says the area has proved and probable reserves of approximately 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. China, on the other hand, believes the number is a lot higher, with 125 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.