Solwara 1deep sea mining project in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea is the world-first deep sea mining project.If the project proceeds well，it will have profound impact on the deep sea mining industry and minerals supply chain globally.Drawing upon the authors' review of an extensive literature and public documents，this paper traces the development of Solwara 1 and discusses some main challenges faced by this project and the whole industry.It also examines China's engagement with Pacific island countries on deep sea mining.The paper argues that though promising，deep sea mining needs to address financial，environmental，social，regulation and benefit-sharing challenges.A comprehensive environmental impact assessment is needed before any project commences.The paper also suggests that China provide financial，technical and capacity building assistances to Pacific island countries and strengthen their capacity in managing deep sea mining activities in their waters.