HONG KONG -- China's research vessel Deep Sea No 1, carrying manned submersible Jiaolong, received a warm welcome Tuesday in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the first time they visited the city.

The vessel is on a home-bound voyage after completing a scientific mission in the Western Pacific Ocean. During their two-day stay in Hong Kong, scientists on board will give lectures to Hong Kong students and hold a number of international seminars to share the results of this scientific expedition.

Warner Cheuk, deputy chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, said that the visits ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China fully demonstrated the central government's care and support for Hong Kong's marine scientific research development and ecological conservation.

It is hoped that this event will inspire more young people in Hong Kong to engage in deep-sea research and make planet Earth a better place to live in, he said.

Wu Changbin, director of China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association, congratulated the successful completion of the Western Pacific international voyage scientific expedition, saying that this voyage not only enhanced China's scientific understanding of deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystems but also contributed important scientific data to global marine scientific research.

The scientific expedition team of Chinese and foreign scientists set sail on Aug 10 from Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, and made a total of 18 dives in the Western Pacific. It was the first time that foreign scientists have carried out deep-sea scientific research on Jiaolong.