Fang Yinxia, director of the Second Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources, presents the flag to the joint expedition. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_c20cbd1dc3b5]

A China-Indonesia joint geological and geophysical expedition set sail on Aug 10 on a research vessel from Tanjung Priok Port in the city of Jakarta in Indonesia.

The voyage, organized by the Second Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources in Hangzhou — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — marks the first bilateral expedition of its kind.

Led by Chief Scientist Ding Weiwei, deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Submarine Geoscience, the expedition brings together 15 Chinese and 12 Indonesian scientists aboard the research vessel Jia Geng — named after renowned Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee.

The team will focus on the Java subduction zone, conducting seabed seismic and magneto telluric surveys to study deep lithospheric structures and tectonic evolution.

Findings are expected to advance the plate convergence theory and strengthen disaster early-warning systems for marine earthquakes and tsunamis.

The expedition builds on long-standing cooperation between China and Indonesia in marine science, following previous agreements with Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency and Gadjah Mada University.

The mission is said to represent a major step from framework to implementation — deepening bilateral research collaboration and highlighting the Belt and Road Initiative's role in promoting sustainable regional development.

Chinese and Indonesian scientists get together for a group photo. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_c20cbd1dc3b5]