https://www.scmp.com/rss/328475/feed Breaking China science news, including research, reports and analysis. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Industry estimates suggest that heavy-duty cargo traffic in China is on track to become nearly 100 per cent electric, a transition that could halve the country’s road transport oil consumption. Speaking at a forum on intelligent electric vehicle development in Beijing on April 11, Liang Linhe, chairman of Sany Truck – a subsidiary of the Changsha-headquartered multinational Sany Group – said China’s heavy truck sector could eventually be almost entirely electrified, although he did not put a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350463/chinese-trucks-could-go-100-electric-halving-road-transport-oil-use-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350463/chinese-trucks-could-go-100-electric-halving-road-transport-oil-use-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Holly Chik,Victoria Bela Holly Chik,Victoria Bela The three astronauts stationed on China’s Tiangong space station will extend their stay by around a month, state broadcaster CCTV said on Friday. The crew lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on October 31 on board the Shenzhou-21 vessel and were expected to return to Earth at the end of this month after a standard six-month mission. In November, a crack was discovered in a window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, forcing the space station’s previous crew to extend their stay for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350472/chinas-space-station-crew-maximise-opportunities-spending-extra-month-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350472/chinas-space-station-crew-maximise-opportunities-spending-extra-month-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:02:40 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang When it comes to hotel rooms, “luxury” does not necessarily mean clean and hygienic. A number of studies have shown that light switches and television remote controls are among the objects with the highest levels of bacterial contamination, while toilets and bathroom sinks also contain high levels of microbial organisms. A 2012 survey in the United States – which is still cited by the travel industry 14 years later – found that 81 per cent of US hotel samples tested positive for surface faecal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349626/how-shanghai-reduces-faecal-bacteria-presence-hotels-less-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349626/how-shanghai-reduces-faecal-bacteria-presence-hotels-less-1?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Chinese researchers have developed a new diamond-copper material that they say can improve the cooling efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres by up to 80 per cent. The functional carbon materials team – from the Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) – said the composite material had already been deployed in an AI computing node in Zhengzhou in Henan province, China Science Daily reported. The global computing industry’s pursuit of AI... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350290/diamond-coating-nearly-doubles-chinese-ai-data-centres-cooling-efficiency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350290/diamond-coating-nearly-doubles-chinese-ai-data-centres-cooling-efficiency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s prototype Qingzhou robotic cargo spacecraft successfully conducted capture and towing operations on “non-cooperative” space targets, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. The progress paves the way for so-called orbital tow trucks capable of clearing space debris and derelict satellites. The prototype spacecraft launched last month also conducted a suite of in-orbit experiments designed to sustain long-duration missions, according to CCTV. These included automated metal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350337/chinas-qingzhou-robotic-craft-tests-space-debris-capture-and-clean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350337/chinas-qingzhou-robotic-craft-tests-space-debris-capture-and-clean?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Beijing residents are once again bracing for a seasonal nuisance that has become something of a tradition: the city’s annual “snowstorm” of willow and poplar catkins. The catkins are essentially seeds from female willow and poplar trees, encased in downy fibres. After pollination in spring, the female trees produce seed pods that split open upon ripening, releasing the fluffy seeds to disperse in the wind. The wisps absorb bacteria, pollen and dust from the air, triggering respiratory and skin... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350128/fluff-stops-here-beijings-battle-against-green-wall-snowstorm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350128/fluff-stops-here-beijings-battle-against-green-wall-snowstorm?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China’s largest artificial intelligence computing cluster for scientific research entered operation on Tuesday, doubling its number of domestically made AI accelerator chips in just two months, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The AI acceleration cards were produced by Chinese supercomputer developer Sugon, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and are running in the core node of the national supercomputing network in Zhengzhou, Henan province. The number of chips in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350208/china-doubles-ai-science-computing-scale-2-months-using-no-us-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350208/china-doubles-ai-science-computing-scale-2-months-using-no-us-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A Chinese deep-sea mission has successfully tested an advanced device capable of cutting through underwater structures such as submarine cable at a depth of thousands of metres. The “Haiyang Dizhi 2” research vessel completed its first deep-sea scientific mission of 2026 on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. The expedition included a cutting test of a deep-sea electro-hydrostatic actuator at a depth of 3,500 metres (11,483 feet), using technology that has drawn attention... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350174/china-tests-submarine-cable-cutter-3500-metre-depth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350174/china-tests-submarine-cable-cutter-3500-metre-depth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:01:06 +0000 Jeffrey Wu Jeffrey Wu A quiet but consequential shift is reshaping the global artificial intelligence competition, and it has little to do with which country builds the most powerful model. Jensen Huang did not mean to describe a geopolitical strategy. But when Nvidia’s chief executive declared, “Your workload is inference, your tokens are your commodity, and that compute is your revenue,” he was articulating, from the supply side, something China had concluded from the other direction. To understand why, start with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349947/us-controls-chips-ai-race-china-controls-scoreboard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349947/us-controls-chips-ai-race-china-controls-scoreboard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Not all scientists are willing to share why they returned to China. Most remain tight-lipped about their reasons for returning home and their specific experiences because of political or other non-scientific reasons. Professor Zhang Kai is an exception. Zhang, who worked for many years in Cambridge, England, and Yale University in the United States, is one of the world’s top and most influential cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) scientists while harbouring further ambitious goals. “The first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350047/zhang-kai-why-i-left-yale-china-peak-my-career-life-science?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350047/zhang-kai-why-i-left-yale-china-peak-my-career-life-science?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:00:16 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong An AI computing centre capable of predicting weather patterns weeks in advance typically carries a price tag of US$100 million or more. Now, Chinese researchers say a small-scale quantum system can outperform such facilities at less than 1 per cent of the cost. The findings raise questions about the long-term economics of the global artificial intelligence infrastructure race. If compact quantum systems can deliver competitive performance in specific tasks, could today’s colossal data centres... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349995/chinese-team-shows-quantum-tech-can-disrupt-ai-real-world-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349995/chinese-team-shows-quantum-tech-can-disrupt-ai-real-world-task?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Hong Kong holds the unwanted distinction of being the most US-sanctioned territory in China, with more than 300 entities blacklisted by Washington in a bid to curb Beijing’s technological rise. But the government maintains that a backlash from Washington will not stop Hong Kong from becoming an international technology hub, in line with an initiative that seeks to bypass technological containment through deepened partnerships with the mainland. Anchored by the cross-border Hetao Shenzhen-Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349923/can-hong-kong-target-most-us-sanctions-become-chinas-quantum-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349923/can-hong-kong-target-most-us-sanctions-become-chinas-quantum-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Off the northern boundary of the Spratly Islands, winds howl and waves surge. A Japanese-flagged oil tanker ploughs through these disputed waters in the South China Sea. The Towa Maru, measuring roughly 340 metres (1,115 feet) long and 60 metres wide, rivals an aircraft carrier in sheer bulk. A Chinese satellite locks its gaze upon the vessel, 35,800km (22,245 miles) overhead. Last month, China released a series of undated radar images of the Towa Maru. It marked the first time ever that a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349862/3-satellites-track-all-chinese-radar-images-confirm-us-military-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349862/3-satellites-track-all-chinese-radar-images-confirm-us-military-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:01:56 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A Chinese artificial intelligence framework has autonomously resolved an open problem proposed more than a decade ago by a US mathematician, according to the Peking University-led team that developed it. The dual-agent framework solved the problem posed in 2014 by former University of Iowa professor Dan Anderson – who died in 2022 at the age of 73 – the researchers said in a preprint paper published on April 4. By synthesising decades of mathematical literature, the Chinese team’s AI framework... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349797/chinese-ai-solves-decade-old-maths-problem-hours-no-human-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349797/chinese-ai-solves-decade-old-maths-problem-hours-no-human-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scholar and author Sheng-Wei Wang discusses how studying an ancient Chinese world map led her to conclude China explored and mapped the world before the European Age of Discovery and how the legacy of colonialism and a Eurocentric record of global history continue to affect power dynamics today. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. What first made you suspect that it was Chinese explorers and not Europeans who launched the true Age of Discovery? The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349808/what-ancient-chinese-map-reveals-about-global-history-and-modern-power-sheng-wei-wang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349808/what-ancient-chinese-map-reveals-about-global-history-and-modern-power-sheng-wei-wang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists say they have developed a wafer-scale 2D semiconductor growth method with 1,000 times faster growth, paving the way for industry advances. The surging demand for high‑performance, low‑power chips driven by AI and large-language models has intensified the search for next‑generation semiconductor technologies. Moore’s Law predicted a doubling of semiconductor capacity every two years but as chip dimensions continue to shrink, physical limitations make further performance scaling... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349677/semiconductor-leap-china-looks-next-gen-2d-chip-1000-fold-growth-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349677/semiconductor-leap-china-looks-next-gen-2d-chip-1000-fold-growth-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Scientists in Xinjiang have created the world’s first crystal that can produce the ultraviolet light needed for future thorium nuclear clocks, which could one day guide submarines and deep-space probes without GPS. The fluorinated borate compound could push laser light to a record 145.2 nanometres (nm) – a wavelength short enough to meet a key requirement for these ultra-precise, portable clocks being developed in the United States, China and elsewhere, the team reported in Advanced Materials in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349477/chinese-crystal-paves-way-gps-free-thorium-clock-navigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349477/chinese-crystal-paves-way-gps-free-thorium-clock-navigation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China plans to launch its first rocket from open waters in the South China Sea, in a display of a more flexible, long-range maritime launch capability. The 31-metre (102-foot) tall, solid-fuelled Jielong-3 is expected to lift off at 7.30pm on Saturday from the Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang, a converted barge operating in international waters, according to a leaked schedule circulating on Chinese social media. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all the islands and rock features in the South China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349638/china-about-launch-rocket-south-china-sea-international-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349638/china-about-launch-rocket-south-china-sea-international-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:02:37 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China’s “desert wheat farms” have survived repeated sandstorms and continue to grow following an initial trial in the country’s largest desert, as part of an ongoing effort to combat desertification and unlock the land’s potential for strengthening national food security. Two years ago, on the fringes of the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China launched an unprecedented project to plant wheat in sand. The first harvest, covering 400 hectares (988 acres) on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349579/two-years-china-proves-its-desert-wheat-farms-are-not-hoax?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349579/two-years-china-proves-its-desert-wheat-farms-are-not-hoax?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:09:48 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong The scene: a command tent during a simulated amphibious assault. Radios crackle with static, reports flood in from the beachhead, and the pressure to make life-or-death decisions weighs heavily on the commander’s shoulders. In this haze of uncertainty – the “fog of war” – a new digital soldier is quietly proving it might think faster than any human. The Chinese military has reportedly deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) agent designed to sit beside battalion-level commanders – and act as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349429/china-deploys-new-battlefield-ai-command-tent-it-outsmarts-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349429/china-deploys-new-battlefield-ai-command-tent-it-outsmarts-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scholar and author Sheng-Wei Wang discusses how studying an ancient Chinese world map led her to conclude China explored and mapped the world before the European Age of Discovery and how the legacy of colonialism and a Eurocentric record of global history continue to affect power dynamics today. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. What first made you suspect that it was Chinese explorers and not Europeans who launched the true Age of Discovery? The... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3349523/china-always-connector-unlike-europes-colonisers-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3349523/china-always-connector-unlike-europes-colonisers-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:17:24 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A team of Chinese scientists has found a way to introduce plant-based, light-activated nanoparticles into animal cells to improve their health and lifespan. When the team’s photosynthetic nanoparticles were transplanted into rats and rabbits with degenerative disease conditions, they helped boost energy production and restore disrupted cell interactions. By integrating their plant-based system with implantable, wirelessly powered lights, the team also proposed an approach for deep tissue... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349445/china-team-introduced-plant-based-photosynthesis-sick-animals-they-recovered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349445/china-team-introduced-plant-based-photosynthesis-sick-animals-they-recovered?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang China looks set to claim another coup in its mission to build AI talent, with one of the world’s top scholars in artificial intelligence for robots listed among PhD supervisors at a Shanghai university. Su Hao, who holds two doctorates – one in mathematics and one in computer science – has appeared on Fudan University’s faculty list as a professor in electronic information specialising in AI. The list, published on March 31, names 322 PhD supervisors appointed this year. Previously, Su was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349408/one-americas-top-ai-robot-scholars-about-join-chinas-tech-talent-pool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349408/one-americas-top-ai-robot-scholars-about-join-chinas-tech-talent-pool?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng The fearsome-sounding “Gangtie Jiliang” is designed to do what no machine has ever done before: delve straight down, kilometre after kilometre, into the heart of the Earth. Translated to English as “steel backbone”, Gangtie Jiliang is billed as the world’s first boring machine capable of excavating full-face shafts to depths exceeding 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) in hard rock. Weighing about 500 tonnes and measuring 8.1 metres wide, the machine looks less like mining equipment and more like an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349367/mining-revolution-chinas-500-tonne-underground-carrier-tunnels-kilometre-mine-ore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349367/mining-revolution-chinas-500-tonne-underground-carrier-tunnels-kilometre-mine-ore?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 SCMP 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. Chinese embassy in US confirms death of semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. 2. ‘Impossible for Chinese’: Yale scientist Zhang Kai leaves US for China Zhang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349349/chinese-embassy-confirms-wang-danhao-death-spacex-challenger-fails-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349349/chinese-embassy-confirms-wang-danhao-death-spacex-challenger-fails-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:07 +0000 Ling Xin,Khushboo Razdan Ling Xin,Khushboo Razdan Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington, confirmed to the South China Morning Post in an email on Monday that Wang had taken his own life. “We are deeply distressed by this tragedy,” Liu wrote, adding that the US had “overstretched” the concept of national security and subjected Chinese students and scholars to unwarranted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349211/chinese-embassy-us-confirms-death-semiconductor-researcher-wang-danhao?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349211/chinese-embassy-us-confirms-death-semiconductor-researcher-wang-danhao?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Youth-led movements have swept the world in recent years – from protests that toppled governments in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bulgaria and Madagascar, to political rallies across the United States. They are often organised and amplified on social media platforms driven by algorithms that determine content based on user behaviour. But a new app that has been tested by nearly 10,000 university students in the US is challenging that approach. Uplifty AI is encrypted and its founder says the algorithm... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349217/radical-reset-uplifty-app-aims-help-university-students-find-connection-offline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349217/radical-reset-uplifty-app-aims-help-university-students-find-connection-offline?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:32:03 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A research team at a Chinese university has developed a new way to make high-end infrared chips that could slash their cost dramatically and improve the performance of smartphone cameras and self-driving cars. The key breakthrough was finding a way to make the chips using conventional manufacturing techniques, rather than the exotic, costly materials that were relied on before. Mass production is set to begin by the end of the year, according to a press release from Xidian University. The chips... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349161/china-cuts-cost-military-grade-infrared-chips-little-about-us10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349161/china-cuts-cost-military-grade-infrared-chips-little-about-us10?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:05:00 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng For marketing manager Wang Yuan, who sells electric heavy-duty cargo trucks in the rugged landscapes of Xinjiang in western China, business is riding a new and powerful wave. The commercial vehicle company he works for is a major player in the domestic market. The lion’s share of its electric heavy trucks are destined for coal-rich provinces including Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, apart from Xinjiang itself. In Xinjiang alone, according to Wang, sales across all brands reached around 16,700 units... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348742/chinas-electric-truck-revolution-powerful-painkiller-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348742/chinas-electric-truck-revolution-powerful-painkiller-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A senior Chinese scientist has outlined the potential military applications of space-based solar power technology, offering a rare glimpse into how energy beamed from orbit could also support surveillance and electronic warfare. Duan Baoyan, a leading architect of China’s “Zhuri” space solar power initiative, wrote in a paper published in Scientia Sinica Informationis last month, that his team had revamped the design of the giant orbital infrastructure. In addition to energy transmission, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348871/china-reveals-military-capabilities-new-space-solar-power-plant-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348871/china-reveals-military-capabilities-new-space-solar-power-plant-design?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:00:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A Chinese cargo plane powered by a hydrogen-fuelled engine has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a milestone in China’s push for green aviation. The 7.5-tonne uncrewed aircraft is powered by the world’s most powerful hydrogen turboprop of its kind, capable of generating more than 1 megawatt. The engine operated normally and remained in good condition throughout the 16-minute test flight on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the Aero Engine Corporation of China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349086/chinas-push-hydrogen-powered-planes-takes-step-forward-amid-iran-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349086/chinas-push-hydrogen-powered-planes-takes-step-forward-amid-iran-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen China’s unmanned submersibles now rank as the world’s largest, with last year’s military parade showcasing two models (HSU001 and AJX002) approaching 20 metres (66 feet) in length. Satellite imagery analysed by Western media also revealed a classified variant exceeding 40 metres at a naval installation, triggering international concern – particularly in the United States. These dimensions created a brand new class of drones known as extra-extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XXLUUVs). They... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348766/china-not-targeting-us-west-coast-ultra-large-underwater-drones-lead-scientist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348766/china-not-targeting-us-west-coast-ultra-large-underwater-drones-lead-scientist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A team of researchers in China has unveiled what they describe as the world’s first open-source flight control system designed specifically for bamboo-frame drones, helping the push for low-cost, eco-friendly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system, developed by researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University’s school of civil aviation, aims to solve a long-standing bottleneck in sustainable drone design: integrating non-traditional materials such as bamboo with high-performance... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348923/china-team-release-worlds-first-bamboo-drone-flight-control-software-free?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348923/china-team-release-worlds-first-bamboo-drone-flight-control-software-free?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers unveiled a gravity detector with world-leading precision last month, potentially expanding the military applications of the technology. It uses a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) to detect objects by measuring tiny changes in gravity. The team that developed the instrument says it can be used for scientific research and finding underground resources. It also brings the country one step closer to being able to spot patrolling nuclear submarines. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348984/chinas-gravity-detecting-squid-gets-closer-spotting-us-nuclear-submarines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348984/chinas-gravity-detecting-squid-gets-closer-spotting-us-nuclear-submarines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China would be closely watching the US Artemis 2 lunar fly-by mission, which has already encountered challenges, including a malfunctioning toilet soon after launch, an expert said. As China gears up to bring astronauts to the moon, the first human return to lunar orbit since the Apollo era over 50 years ago could offer Beijing valuable technical insights. Quentin Parker, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Hong Kong, described China as watching the Artemis 2 mission “like a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348929/china-watching-hawk-us-artemis-2-crew-fixes-toilet-moon-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348929/china-watching-hawk-us-artemis-2-crew-fixes-toilet-moon-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Ling Xin,Victoria Bela Ling Xin,Victoria Bela China’s attempt to launch its most powerful privately developed rocket failed on Friday after the vehicle suffered a flight anomaly. The Tianlong-3 rocket is being developed in hopes of breaking a key bottleneck in the country’s roll-out of internet satellite megaconstellations to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. The Tianlong-3, built by Beijing-based start-up Space Pioneer and seen as China’s answer to the US company’s workhorse, the reusable Falcon 9, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348908/china-launches-heavyweight-rocket-challenge-spacexs-falcon-9-it-fails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348908/china-launches-heavyweight-rocket-challenge-spacexs-falcon-9-it-fails?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:04:04 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Challenging six decades of convention, Chinese scientists have proposed a new composite material manufacturing method that could improve the strength and reliability of structures used in drones, aircraft and spacecraft. By introducing an advance in the so-called balanced lay-up approach – a method of stacking fibre layers symmetrically and in opposing angles to minimise internal stresses – the research team reported strength gains of up to 26 per cent. It also led to a 13 per cent improvement... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348762/could-chinas-metal-composite-make-drones-planes-and-rockets-26-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348762/could-chinas-metal-composite-make-drones-planes-and-rockets-26-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang A therapy using pig semen-derived exosomes, engineered into eye drops capable of penetrating deep into retinal tissue, may hold the key to breaching the brain’s defences against diseases like Alzheimer’s. This advance, led by Professor Zhang Yu at China’s Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, originally targeted a rare childhood eye cancer retinoblastoma that often resists conventional treatments due to its delicate location near the brain. Published in peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348726/chinas-brain-penetrating-pig-semen-eyedrop-may-treat-alzheimers-scientist-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348726/chinas-brain-penetrating-pig-semen-eyedrop-may-treat-alzheimers-scientist-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:47:06 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang For Zhang Kai, a pioneering scientist who is building an ultra-large-scale cellular structure group data bank with unprecedented precision, returning home to China was the natural choice to fulfil his ambition. “In the United States, it is almost impossible for a Chinese scholar to take the lead on this project,” Zhang said during a March 26 interview with China Science Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the country’s most prestigious research institution. On... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348675/impossible-chinese-yale-scientist-zhang-kai-leaves-us-break-racial-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348675/impossible-chinese-yale-scientist-zhang-kai-leaves-us-break-racial-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A striking phenomenon is emerging from China as the Middle East conflict presses on: technically skilled civilians are volunteering their expertise online to help Iran counter US military might, without seeking payment or official backing. The trend was vividly illustrated on March 14, when a detailed tutorial on taking down America’s F-35 appeared on Chinese social media and went viral. Created by the account “Laohu Talks World” and subtitled in Persian, the video meticulously explained how... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348619/how-take-down-us-f-35-over-iran-chinese-engineers-prophetic-tutorial-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348619/how-take-down-us-f-35-over-iran-chinese-engineers-prophetic-tutorial-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s commercial space sector has reached a cost milestone as its new rocket debuts for less than the ticket price of the latest SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle. The Kinetica-2 Y1 carrier rocket, also known as the Lijian-2 Y1, took off on its inaugural flight on Monday before delivering three satellites into orbit, including a prototype commercial cargo spacecraft and a satellite to function as a mini-orbiting space lab. The rocket developed by Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348697/chinas-commercial-rocket-now-cheaper-elon-musks-spacex-falcon-9?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348697/chinas-commercial-rocket-now-cheaper-elon-musks-spacex-falcon-9?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:20 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China is doubling down on mega chemical plants to secure the “industrial gold” needed for its green technology and to scale the coal-based production of chemicals whose global supply is stalled by conflict in the Middle East. On March 20, construction began on the world’s largest coal-to-ethylene glycol project in Xinjiang’s Turpan prefecture, which is expected to produce 2.4 million tonnes per year, according to state news agency Xinhua. China’s first 100,000-tonne/year solution process-based... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348522/china-doubles-down-chemical-plant-expansion-tech-breakthrough-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348522/china-doubles-down-chemical-plant-expansion-tech-breakthrough-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Why didn’t China develop its own scientific and industrial revolutions when it made so many discoveries and advances over millennia? That is often called “Needham’s question”, named after the historian of Chinese science and tech Joseph Needham. Why didn’t China develop capitalism during the Song dynasty when it was so close to achieving a breakthrough with trade, commerce, currency and semi-industrialisation, and an emerging merchant class? The Hungarian-French sinologist Etienne Balazs, among... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Preserving Cantonese has been challenging due to the dominance of Mandarin, limited learning resources and a lack of a standard written form. With a declining number of young learners, the language faces an uncertain future. Artificial intelligence (AI) – seen by some as an existential threat to humanity – may become the hope for saving the language, and many others, along with the distinct cultures they embody. This is the mission of Hong Kong-based deep-tech company Votee AI: to use large... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347975/mandarin-replacing-cantonese-offbeat-ai-fights-back-big-tech-looks-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347975/mandarin-replacing-cantonese-offbeat-ai-fights-back-big-tech-looks-away?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China’s science and technology awards system has been accused of being riddled with loopholes and misconduct, including serious exaggeration of achievements, cultivation of personal connections and even bribery, according to critics within the academic community. These flaws, though repeatedly addressed by the authorities, are said to remain deeply entrenched, casting a shadow over China’s rapidly advancing innovation sector that is widely regarded as a key pillar in its rivalry with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345080/chinas-science-awards-system-plagued-shadowy-practices-can-reforms-fix-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345080/chinas-science-awards-system-plagued-shadowy-practices-can-reforms-fix-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong China is developing a revolutionary air-breathing engine for next-generation fighter jets and hypersonic missiles. Designed to operate continuously from a stationary start-up to over Mach 6, the “contra-rotary ramjet engine” could replace the combined turbine-ramjet systems currently used in high-speed flight. After more than three decades of work, the engine prototype has been completed and experimentally verified, marking a potential step towards engineering applications. The next steps... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348078/mach-0-6-engine-may-power-chinas-future-fighter-jets-and-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348078/mach-0-6-engine-may-power-chinas-future-fighter-jets-and-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Science and Nature are among the world’s most prestigious journals, which most scientists strive to publish in but never will. By the age of 30, quantum physicist Zhu Zijie had already published in both with significant discoveries on the behaviour of cold atoms. After graduating from Peking University, he went to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) – Albert Einstein’s alma mater – for graduate studies and stayed there as a postdoctoral researcher for over a year. In... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348415/do-something-nobodys-done-quantum-physicist-zhu-zijie-leaves-europe-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348415/do-something-nobodys-done-quantum-physicist-zhu-zijie-leaves-europe-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:18:12 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese researchers say they have built an 11-satellite network for a jam-resistant, high-accuracy optical navigation system, designed to provide positioning where GPS is unavailable or disrupted, for everything from self-driving cars and drones to deep-space missions. Optical navigation has also been used in the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, helping drones developed by companies such as Asio Technologies and General Atomics operate in environments where GPS signals are jammed. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chinese-jam-proof-satellite-network-fill-gps-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chinese-jam-proof-satellite-network-fill-gps-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:01:05 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela For decades, the United States led the charge in the pursuit of brain-computer interface technology, betting big on bold, high-risk breakthroughs that promised to revolutionise medicine and human-machine integration. In the end, it is China crossing the finish line first. Using a semi-invasive approach that may lend credence to the Confucian “doctrine of the mean” – or the philosophy of seeking a middle path between extremes – a team in China has now come up with a commercially approved product... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348126/doctrine-mean-how-us-lost-2-decade-race-china-brain-implants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348126/doctrine-mean-how-us-lost-2-decade-race-china-brain-implants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Ke Meng Ke Meng In January, a top Chinese AI researcher told an industry summit in Beijing there was less than a 20 per cent chance of any Chinese company surpassing a leading US artificial intelligence firm in the next three to five years. The remark by Lin Junyang, until recently a technical leader working on Qwen, one of China’s most capable open-source AI models under Alibaba (which owns the South China Morning Post), made headlines. But much of the commentary missed a more important question Lin posed:... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347763/how-assess-chinas-real-chance-winning-ai-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347763/how-assess-chinas-real-chance-winning-ai-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000