bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Stephen Chen

Scientific instruments, mostly analytical or measuring devices for use in a laboratory, made up more than 40 per cent of the items restricted for sale to China after being put on the US commercial export control list, according to analysis by Chinese researchers and artificial intelligence.
After the trade war between China and the United States started in 2018, Chinese scientists said they found it increasingly difficult to buy research tools from the US. While researchers from different fields were making the same complaint, it was not known how problematic the overall situation had become for scientists in China.


By December last year, the number of trade items on the US control list had grown to over 4,500. Many of the names were technical, recognised only by experts in specialised fields, and none were officially classified as scientific instruments.
An AI system was trained on a database of detailed information about most hardware used in laboratories across China and found that nearly 1,900 items (42 per cent) on the US list were scientific instruments.
In the past, China’s access to certain instruments was restricted because they could be used in military research. But after the trade war began, China’s fundamental research and advanced manufacturing sectors became the main targets of the US export control policies, according to the researchers.
China unveils road map to boost ‘technological self-reliance’ amid tech war
The US government “tried to restrict China’s access to some emerging and foundational technologies to contain China’s development in scientific research and industrial manufacturing”, said professor Wang Xuezhao and her colleagues at the National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a paper published in the domestic peer-reviewed journal World Sci-Tech R&D on August 25.
In response, China had “developed alternative plans for trade imports from Russia, Europe, France, Germany and other countries”, they added.
Scientific instruments are one of the few commercial products not usually made in China. None of the world’s top 20 scientific instrument suppliers are Chinese.

But Chinese scientists desperately needed these tools. About 60 per cent of China’s investment in research infrastructure in recent years was spent on buying scientific instruments abroad, according to government data.
In the past, civilian scientists in China could get most of the common tools. With funding they could even build up a state-of-the-art laboratory with hardware better than their counterparts in the West. The task was more difficult after former US president Donald Trump signed off the Export Control Reform Act of 2018.
A physicist working at the national quantum research facilities in Anhui, Hefei province said their laboratory had placed an order for mainstream instruments two years ago. They were still waiting for US authorities’ permission to ship the goods to China. The research team had tried to find an alternative supplier but the transition was difficult and time consuming.
“We have tried to build some tools, but we can’t do everything by ourselves,” said the researcher who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.


According to Wang’s study, the instruments on the US export control list were not isolated, but often linked to others because of shared technologies or fields of application. An X-ray machine, for instance, was banned together with an instrument to measure vaults that could be used in a chemical plant.
Mapping these sophisticated relationships could unveil hidden US strategies but it was a difficult job for humans. Instead, the researchers used AI to process a large amount of US government documents related to the restricted scientific instruments.
The study found that at the heart of the US export control strategy were analytical instruments that used optical or electronic signals to probe an object’s structure or other properties. Other most restricted instruments included measuring devices with high accuracy, laser-related instruments, laboratory equipment to improve industrial processes, and research tools related to computer chip design and development.
US-China tech war: In battle for talent, US ‘shooting ourselves in the foot’
One notable area the US did not ban was instrumentation used in medical research. It could be in part because of US confidence about its dominance in this sector but “with the improvement of China’s overall strength in the future, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, instruments and equipment in the field of biochemical testing and viral vaccines may become areas of new control”, Wang and her colleagues wrote.
The Chinese government has launched numerous nationwide campaigns to promote home-grown scientific instruments because the reliance on overseas supply had become a threat to national security, according to a separate study conducted by Chinese customs researchers in May.
But the acceptance of domestic products was not high at present. Some had small technical issues that could ruin an experiment. The authorities had to use financial incentives such as tax reduction to encourage laboratories to use domestic products.


There were more than 4,000 manufacturers of scientific instruments in China by the end of 2019, according to the customs researchers. Most of them produced low-end to medium products. A few start-ups were challenging Western companies in the high-end market, but their market share remained negligible.
Chinese companies could not catch up with their Western counterparts in a short time because building the best scientific instruments requires decades of research and experience, according to some industrial experts.
In some sectors, such as quantum technology where China is taking the lead, researchers have set up companies to build their own instruments because they could not buy them from overseas.
In Hefei, the Chinese government spent more than 2 billion yuan (US$309 million) last year building an industrial estate to produce a wide range of next-generation scientific instruments using quantum technology with the aim of reaching unprecedented levels of sensitivity and accuracy.


Scientists in China ‘struggle to get instruments because of US export controls’

None of the world’s top 20 scientific instrument makers are in China, and as the US adds instruments to its commercial export control list, Chinese scientists and laboratories are finding it increasingly difficult to buy the tools they need, says a new study. Photo: AFP

=== PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== === PHOTO CAPTURED FROM WEIBO === China has made significant progress in material for jet engines to enable its thrust power to increase largely, state media reported. A new coating membrane for turbine blades that could endure a temperature as high as 2,100 Kelvin (1,827 degree Celsius) was recently invented by the Yuanke Energy Saving and Environmental Protection Technology Development Co in Qinhungdao, Hebei province, according to Xinhua. WEIBO

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By December, the number of trade items on the US control list had grown to over 4,500 – including nearly 1,900 scientific instruments
None of the top 20 instrument makers in the world are Chinese, but Beijing encourages labs to use home-grown tech for the nation to be more self-reliant



By December, the number of trade items on the US control list had grown to over 4,500 – including nearly 1,900 scientific instruments.


US-China relations

US-China decoupling

China trade

US-China trade war

Scientists in China ‘struggle to get instruments because of US export controls’

By December, the number of trade items on the US control list had grown to over 4,500 – including nearly 1,900 scientific instruments None of the top 20 instrument makers in the world are Chinese, but Beijing encourages labs to use home-grown tech for the nation to be more self-reliant

By December, the number of trade items on the US control list had grown to over 4,500 – including nearly 1,900 scientific instruments

None of the top 20 instrument makers in the world are Chinese, but Beijing encourages labs to use home-grown tech for the nation to be more self-reliant