With the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) to be finished in September 2024, it is now a critical period for the scientific community to plan for the future of scientific ocean drilling. For more than 20 years, China has been an active member in scientific ocean drilling and has made significant progress in deep-sea scientific research, talent training and ocean drilling equipment technology, and is now actively promoting the next phase of scientific ocean drilling program with international partners.

On 7 September 2022, the IODP-China Development Strategy Workshop was held in Beijing to discuss the strategic planning for China’s participation in future international scientific ocean drilling beyond 2024. Attended by more than 40 participants including academicians Ding Zhongli, Wang Pinxian, Jin Zhenmin, Wang Chengshan and other leading scientists as well as government representatives, the workshop featured four keynote presentations focused on the latest progress of IODP, the platform construction, ten-year (2025-2035) science plan and next goals and tasks for China’s scientific ocean drilling. After serious discussions, important consensuses were also reached on the next step of work at the meeting.