China is reportedly drilling a hole measuring 32,800 feet deep into the Earth’s crust in the Xinjiang region.
The drilling began Tuesday and is part of a “research project” in the oil-rich area, the New York Post reported Thursday, citing state media.
China’s President Xi Jinping arrives to attend the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC summit, November 19, 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand. (Jack Taylor/Pool Photo via AP)
“The venture is being led by state scientists as a means to further China’s deep Earth exploration venture launched by President Xi Jinping in 2021, the Xinhua News Agency reported,” the outlet said, adding the work was happening in the Tarim Basin.
An image shows what is reportedly the site:
Britannica describes the Tarim Basin as a “vast depression drained by the Tarim River in the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang,” noting it covers approximately 350,000 square miles.
The area is “enclosed by the Tien Shan (mountains) to the north, the Pamirs to the west, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Altun Mountains to the east,” the site said, adding it is an extremely dry area.
Meanwhile, Chinese Academy of Engineering scientist Sun Jinsheng said drillers will go down in more than 10 layers of rock during the project.
Video footage appears to show workers overseeing others at the drilling site:
“The drilling is expected to take about 457 days and is being led by the China National Petroleum Corp, which will use the project to test underground drilling machines and gather data on the Earth’s interior,” the Post article said.
China does not have a positive record when it comes to the Xinjiang region.
In March, the U.S. State Department released its 2022 human rights report on the country, according to Breitbart News.
Supporters of China’s Muslim Uighur minority wave the flag of East Turkestan and hold placards on December 20, 2019 during a demostration at Fatih in Istanbul. – More than 1,000 protesters marched Friday in Istanbul to protest against China over its treatment of mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, an AFP correspondent said.They called for an end to the crackdown in China’s northwestern region, where upwards of one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are believed to be held in re-education camps. (OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)
The government report found that “genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.”
“The report included several citations of Uyghurs who said family members died in China’s brutal re-education camps, or died shortly after their release due to the abuse they suffered,” the article stated.
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