China's official news agency Xinhua reported on October 21, 2014 that China has installed 17 sets of submerged buoys in "key marine areas" of the western Pacific ocean. The mission was carried out by the Chinese research vessel "Kexue" and according to Xinhua, "marks the first time that China has put an array of submerged buoys on such a big scale".It added that the vessel is expected to return to the region next month "to conduct a deep sea environment project." Xinhua quoted Hu Dunxin, a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as saying that "The buoys will provide important scientific statistics about ocean circulation and climate.