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SCMP

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Mathematician Qian Hong, son of top scientific clan, leaves US for China

A renowned mathematician who is also part of China’s Qian clan – a surname linked in the annals of Chinese scientific history to national pioneers in science and engineering – has become the latest US-based scientist to return to China.
2. Stranded Chinese astronauts return home from space station mission
Three astronauts whose return to Earth from China’s Tiangong space station was delayed last week after a suspected debris strike touched down on Friday at the Dongfeng landing site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
3. Chinese history blamed this woman for 2,796 years. Science clears her name

Few women in Chinese history have been as scorned – or as misunderstood – as Bao Si. What history long portrayed as a cautionary tale of a woman’s vanity bringing down a dynasty may have been the result of climate change.
4. China hits third 1,000-tonne gold belt this year in Kunlun Mountains

China has discovered a rare gold deposit in the Kunlun Mountains near the western border of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to government geologists involved in the survey.
5. Texas A&M deputy chemistry chair Fang Lei joins US$3 billion Chinese lab
Fang Lei, a long-time professor with Texas A&M University’s chemistry department, has returned to China to join the cutting-edge Yongjiang Laboratory, a state-backed research centre that has drawn a cumulative investment of more than 26 billion yuan (US$3.65 billion) in less than four years.
6. QS university rankings ridiculed in China as latest listing bombs online
A university ranking that once had the reputation in China as one of the world’s most authoritative measures of higher education has become the subject of ridicule on social media. The QS World University Rankings, produced by a London-based education consultancy firm, has long been regarded as a “gold standard” for comparing universities worldwide.
7. Quantum chip gives China’s AI data centres ‘1,000-fold’ speed boost: researchers

China has achieved a massive leap in computing power, spearheaded by a new optical quantum chip capable of accelerating complex problem-solving by over a thousandfold. The photonic quantum chip won the “Leading Technology Award” at the 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit last week.


TCM’s take on human life; rise of China’s Empress Dowager Cixi: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Fish named after Blackpink’s Jennie; China’s 6G smart city: 7 science highlights

Chinese tourists high on Malaysia, why Europe is praising Lee Kuan Yew: 7 Asia highlights

Europeans hunt for Chinese aircons, Wu Chun’s luggage ordeal: 5 weekend reads

SCMP Highlights

Shenzhou-20 astronauts return home, Qian Hong leaves US for China: 7 science highlights

Astronaut Wang Jie waves as he is carried out of the Shenzhou-21 spaceship’s return capsule after it touched down at the Dongfeng landing site on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

Qian Hong, previously the Olga Jung Wan endowment professor in applied mathematics at the University of Washington in Seattle, has returned to China after 40 years in the US. Photo: Handout

For nearly three millennia, she has been remembered not as a person, but as a symbol: the beautiful femme fatale whose cold heart and untouchable beauty brought down a dynasty. Photo: Handout

Chinese geologists have discovered a rare gold deposit in the Kunlun Mountains near the western border of Xinjiang, the third large haul to be found this year. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Researchers at CHIPX pose for a photo with their high-performance 6-inch thin-film lithium niobate chip, an advance that is poised to accelerate progress in AI and quantum computing. Photo: Handout

Chinese student boom helps create more university spots for Americans: study

The study concluded that Chinese students had helped create more college places in the US. Photo: Xinhua

China crosses US second island chain with deep-sea cobalt mining rover in western Pacific

The rover is powered by four independently driven tracks, each capable of adjusting its height autonomously. Photo: National Engineering Research Centre for Metal Mining

The smart mining machine is put through a ground test. Photo: National Engineering Research Centre for Metal Mining

China prepares to bring home astronauts stranded on Tiangong space station

The new crew arrived on October 31, but plans to return the Shenzhou-20 crew remain in limbo. Photo: Xinhua

From 88% to 9% – stark data shows US decline, China’s rise in remote sensing research

From virtually zero in the 1990s, China’s share of papers on remote sensing published globally soared by 2023 to 47 per cent as the US trended in the opposite direction, a study has revealed. Photo: Shutterstock 

Remote sensing supports a range of critical applications, from autonomous driving to climate monitoring and national security. Photo: Shutterstock 

Chinese team reports first recovery of rare earth minerals from living plant

Chinese scientists have recovered a naturally formed mineral with rare earth elements from the Blemchnum orientale fern, offering a potential for phytomining, according to the team. Photo: Shutterstock

News

China

Science

From a new study clearing an ancient queen’s name to a leap in computing power, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting


From a new study clearing an ancient queen’s name to a leap in computing power, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.


United States

Shenzhou-20 astronauts return home, Qian Hong leaves US for China: 7 science highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a new study clearing an ancient queen’s name to a leap in computing power, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting

1. Mathematician Qian Hong, son of top scientific clan, leaves US for China

From a new study clearing an ancient queen’s name to a leap in computing power, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting