https://www.scmp.com/rss/512510/feed Tong earned his Bachelor's degree from Tianjin University and Master's degree from the University of Washington. His major was Chemical Engineering and Data Science. He used to work as an editor of academic journals. He is enthusiastic about news writing and finding stories behind scientific research. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Authorities in China’s western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have blamed construction defects and management failures – rather than the actions of tourists – for a deadly suspension bridge failure last summer. In a report released on Thursday, investigators concluded that “legal violations, gross negligence and dereliction of duty” caused the Jiangjun Bridge at the Xiata Scenic Area in Yili to tilt, killing five people and injuring 24 others. The incident occurred at 6.15pm on August 6, when... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351184/defects-not-jumping-tourists-caused-deadly-xinjiang-bridge-collapse-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351184/defects-not-jumping-tourists-caused-deadly-xinjiang-bridge-collapse-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:00:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong This year’s El Nino could increase the global demand for fossil fuels and worsen the price rises caused by the Iran crisis, Chinese government scientists have said. The climate phenomenon happens every two to seven years and causes an increase in average global temperatures. A strong El Nino can bring either droughts or torrential rains and flooding, both of which may force hydropower stations to reduce their output or shut down entirely – increasing the need for other power sources, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350622/china-warns-strong-el-nino-year-may-worsen-global-fossil-fuel-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350622/china-warns-strong-el-nino-year-may-worsen-global-fossil-fuel-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have created a diving suit that could help users glide through the sea with ease. In tests, the exoskeleton reduced the diver’s oxygen consumption by nearly 40 per cent. The flexible suit not only provides physical assistance but also syncs precisely with the swimmer’s own rhythm, dramatically boosting underwater agility. In tasks ranging from seabed surveys and pipeline inspections to salvage operations and even covert military missions, divers must constantly change the rate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350425/chinese-robo-diving-suit-could-help-users-consume-almost-40-less-oxygen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350425/chinese-robo-diving-suit-could-help-users-consume-almost-40-less-oxygen?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:00:14 +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 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 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 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 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Testing conducted by Chinese scientists has found that a solid rocket engine can ignite at 200 metres (656 feet) underwater – far deeper than submarine-launched missiles – suggesting new possibilities for deep-sea weapon systems. Ballistic missiles that can be launched from subs are central to strategic deterrence for nuclear powers – for example, the M51 used by France, America’s Trident system, and China’s Julang series. With these missiles on board, submarines, moving stealthily through deep... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347675/missile-launch-pad-seabed-chinese-simulation-suggests-its-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347675/missile-launch-pad-seabed-chinese-simulation-suggests-its-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have discovered a way to turn cheap coal into valuable ingredients for medicine. This was once a long and difficult process, but now they have found a surprising short cut. In a study published on March 16 in the journal Nature, Jiao Ning’s team at Peking University solved a chemical puzzle that had confounded scientists for over 160 years. They successfully transformed inexpensive and readily available industrial feedstock – olefins – into high-value alkynes under mild and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347300/turning-coal-medicines-chinese-scientists-bring-160-year-old-dream-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347300/turning-coal-medicines-chinese-scientists-bring-160-year-old-dream-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 06:23:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed revolutionary software capable of fully simulating the extreme physics of supersonic fuel combustion in just one week. Previously, the same task could take a supercomputer years to complete, they said. Developed by a research team led by Yao Wei at the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the software was used to run an ultra-high-fidelity simulation of a scramjet engine in which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow. It modelled its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347269/years-week-china-unveils-superfast-software-hypersonic-weapon-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347269/years-week-china-unveils-superfast-software-hypersonic-weapon-design?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers have unveiled a new rare earth alloy so cold and efficient it could upend decades of reliance on helium-3 and send shock waves through the global race for quantum computers or ultra-sensitive detectors. A mini-fridge built with the alloy has achieved temperatures extremely close to absolute zero using no moving parts. And it comes at a time when the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is actively hunting for exactly such a technology. On January 27, DARPA... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346452/chinese-scientists-create-worlds-coldest-alloy-it-may-surprise-darpa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346452/chinese-scientists-create-worlds-coldest-alloy-it-may-surprise-darpa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:13:49 +0000 Wency Chen,Zhang Tong Wency Chen,Zhang Tong China is counting on artificial intelligence (AI) to help the 450 million people living in rural areas left behind by the nation’s economic boom. Farmers are already benefiting from the technology, using AI offerings such as DeepSeek or ByteDance’s Doubao for help with issues like pig rearing, pest control and government subsidies. The State Council’s “No 1 document” of 2026, extended a push for the “digital upgrading” of farming, with an emphasis on the greater integration of AI, drones, robots... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346713/ai-narrow-chinas-rural-urban-economic-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346713/ai-narrow-chinas-rural-urban-economic-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A private company in China providing intelligence-gathering services to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) claims to have intercepted radio signals from American stealth bombers that struck Iran on March 1 as part of the US-Israel military action. Jingan Technology, a defence technology firm based in east China’s Hangzhou, also asserted that it detected signals linked to US military activities well before tensions with Iran escalated, using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse early... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346200/chinese-firm-claims-it-intercepted-b-2-radio-signal-during-us-strike-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346200/chinese-firm-claims-it-intercepted-b-2-radio-signal-during-us-strike-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong On the same day the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, a research team led by Liao Longwen with the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology published a paper in the Chinese journal Tactical Missile Technology on the ability of US missile defence systems to intercept hypersonic weapons. The US systems were dangerously outmatched by these threats, the researchers concluded in the paper released on Saturday. “Existing US missile defences can theoretically intercept some hypersonic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345667/could-iran-war-confirm-chinas-prediction-us-militarys-hypersonic-nightmare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345667/could-iran-war-confirm-chinas-prediction-us-militarys-hypersonic-nightmare?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:56:28 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong New Tsinghua University data this week reveals a nearly 20 per cent rise in graduates joining the manufacturing and energy sectors, signalling a major shift in career pursuits in China. The sharp rise seen in Tsinghua’s class of 2025 indicates a renewed interest in traditional industrial sectors among top-tier talent as well as the pull of national strategic priorities. As some of China’s brightest minds enter these fields, the country is poised to intensify its competitive challenge to Western... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345299/manufacturing-talent-boom-why-chinas-smartest-students-are-factory-bound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345299/manufacturing-talent-boom-why-chinas-smartest-students-are-factory-bound?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed a flexible and safe organic lithium-ion battery that could be suitable for use in wearable electronics and in extreme conditions. The breakthrough stems from an innovative organic cathode material that enables efficient and stable performance across an extreme temperature range, from far below freezing to as hot as 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit). Conventional lithium-ion batteries typically use inorganic minerals such as lithium cobalt oxide or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344985/why-chinese-teams-flexible-organic-battery-could-change-face-wearables?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344985/why-chinese-teams-flexible-organic-battery-could-change-face-wearables?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 06:00:27 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed a promising new battery technology that could dramatically increase the driving range of electric vehicles and allow them to perform more reliably in cold weather. Lithium batteries are essential components in products such as smartphones and EVs, but at present they are approaching their energy density ceiling, which limits the scope to improve their performance. The most common types of liquid-state battery – lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium – are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344842/chinese-scientists-may-have-found-battery-could-double-electric-vehicles-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344842/chinese-scientists-may-have-found-battery-could-double-electric-vehicles-range?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have developed a new technique that solidifies liquid into three-dimensional objects in under a second, making for the world’s fastest 3D printing. 3D printing is no longer a novel concept – whether it is tech enthusiasts creating digital objects, metal printing conducted in space, customised bone structures for patients or even military units using 3D-printed parts for weapon repairs. However, these technologies still rely on mechanical scanning by a printing nozzle, building... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344554/quick-blink-chinese-scientists-unveil-3d-printing-under-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344554/quick-blink-chinese-scientists-unveil-3d-printing-under-second?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A team of Chinese scientists has unveiled the world’s smallest and most energy-efficient transistor in a breakthrough poised to anchor the next generation of high-performance AI hardware. The researchers achieved the feat in ferroelectric transistors (FeFETs), which function similarly to neurons in the human brain as they integrate memory and processing in a single unit, thereby reducing the time lost in data transfer. In conventional semiconductor chips, data storage and computation occur in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344495/smaller-faster-smarter-chinese-transistor-ready-future-ai-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344495/smaller-faster-smarter-chinese-transistor-ready-future-ai-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The ecological health of China’s Yangtze River is undergoing a meaningful recovery, just halfway through a 10-year fishing ban to restore the ecosystem, a new study has found. As one of the country’s vital waterways – and among the world’s most biodiverse rivers – the Yangtze has long supported immense economic and social functions. At its peak, it contributed more than 60 per cent of China’s freshwater fisheries output. Yet from the 1950s, the river basin faced sustained ecological decline due... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343408/chinas-yangtze-river-fishing-ban-brings-biomass-surge-boosts-finless-porpoise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343408/chinas-yangtze-river-fishing-ban-brings-biomass-surge-boosts-finless-porpoise?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong In a landmark achievement, Chinese scientists have directly observed and manipulated prethermalisation – a critical transitional state in quantum systems – using the 78-qubit “Chuang-tzu 2.0” superconducting processor. This allows researchers to “tune” the speed of quantum decoherence, providing a vital tool for managing complex quantum environments. If a quantum system is disturbed, it naturally returns to a balanced state. The energy and information within it spreads out until they are evenly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344006/chinese-scientists-put-quantum-chaos-slow-motion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344006/chinese-scientists-put-quantum-chaos-slow-motion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:00:17 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers have announced a new technique to mass produce 2D material wafers, paving the way for high-performance electronics using a successor to silicon. As semiconductor chips evolve, transistor sizes are approaching the physical limits of silicon-based technology. The search for next-generation semiconductor materials that can deliver superior performance has become a global priority. Among the candidates, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) with their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343807/chinese-scientists-hit-breakthrough-2d-semiconductor-wafers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343807/chinese-scientists-hit-breakthrough-2d-semiconductor-wafers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong,Dannie Peng Zhang Tong,Dannie Peng Running and cooling the data centres that power computer networks requires a lot of energy and water, and the world needs a lot more of them with the roll-out of artificial intelligence (AI). What if they could be powered and cooled more sustainably – installed deep underwater, placed high in the mountains, or fired into space where solar power is free and limitless? China has done all three, and it’s just getting started. Five years after Microsoft abandoned an experimental underwater data... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3343446/sea-and-space-china-makes-ai-data-centres-more-sustainable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3343446/sea-and-space-china-makes-ai-data-centres-more-sustainable?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:25:07 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers say they have found a viable pathway to building long-distance quantum communication networks. In a study published this week in Nature, a team from Peking University said it had developed a prototype networking capacity that could communicate over distances of more than 3,700km (2,300 miles). Quantum key distribution (QKD) is regarded as the gold standard for secure communication – any attempt at eavesdropping inevitably leaves detectable traces, regardless of distance or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343417/chinese-scientists-find-path-long-distance-quantum-communications-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343417/chinese-scientists-find-path-long-distance-quantum-communications-network?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 05:00:27 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong In a world first, Chinese researchers have flight-tested new streamlined thrust technology in a high-speed drone, capping nearly two decades of research in the area for the lead scientist. The lighter and simpler aerodynamic thrust vectoring system abandons the complex mechanical parts of elite fighter jets like the F-35B and Su-37 to redirect engine exhaust to make the aircraft more manoeuverable. Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics announced last month that a team led by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342814/lighter-simpler-faster-could-thrust-device-give-chinese-drones-edge-over-f-35s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342814/lighter-simpler-faster-could-thrust-device-give-chinese-drones-edge-over-f-35s?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Eight people have been confirmed dead in a blast at a biotechnology factory in central China early on Saturday. The explosion ripped through a workshop in Shanyin county, Shanxi province, operated by Jiapeng Biotechnology, a company involved in bio-feed, coal and related products, building materials, and paint manufacturing. The county government said the rescue operation had concluded and the company’s legal representative had been taken into police custody. Officials from Shuozhou, the city... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342811/8-dead-biotech-workshop-blast-central-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342811/8-dead-biotech-workshop-blast-central-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The shortest wavelength of a laser beam generated from a crystal has been realised in a laboratory at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, according to a new paper. At 158.9 nanometres (nm), it leads to all-solid-state lasers with the highest output energy recorded. The all-solid-state solution offers a desktop-scale size, lower cost, easier maintenance and performance equal to room-sized laser systems, such as those based on gas plasma and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342103/chinas-first-kind-abf-crystal-creates-most-energised-solid-state-laser-beam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342103/chinas-first-kind-abf-crystal-creates-most-energised-solid-state-laser-beam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have unveiled a cooling technology that can plunge a liquid cooling medium from room temperature to sub-zero levels in less than half a minute. This leap in thermal engineering offered a promising heat management solution for energy-hungry data centres that were mushrooming across China and the United States, they said. By harnessing the unique behaviour of ammonium thiocyanate in water under pressure, the team created a liquid cooling system that mimics squeezing a “wet... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341756/frost-20-seconds-can-supercooling-tech-give-china-edge-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341756/frost-20-seconds-can-supercooling-tech-give-china-edge-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The old rules said you had to choose: stealth or speed. The US picked stealth. Russia went fast. China is trying to throw away the rule book. Chinese researchers unveiled a development in aircraft design last month that could propel the nation’s next-generation stealth bombers into supersonic flight, ending the trade-off between speed and stealth that has troubled the American and Russian air forces for decades. Since the 1930s, scientists have been studying a type of aircraft called the flying... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341295/can-new-tech-help-chinas-stealth-bomber-break-sound-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341295/can-new-tech-help-chinas-stealth-bomber-break-sound-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:14:58 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong This month, when China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence released a list of top 10 defence industry news items for 2025, it shed light on a home-grown aviation success story. The inclusion of the Chinese-made J-10CE and its PL-15 missile marked Beijing’s first official confirmation that the fighter jet had engaged in combat. Last May, the J-10CE – deployed by the Pakistan Air Force and armed with PL-15E missiles – was credited with bringing down... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341054/chinese-scientist-boosts-range-pl-15-missiles-brought-down-indias-rafale-jets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341054/chinese-scientist-boosts-range-pl-15-missiles-brought-down-indias-rafale-jets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have created fully flexible fibre chips with circuits that are integrated and embedded within stretchable strands as thin as human hair at a density rivalling those of a home computer’s central processing unit. Scientists have now advanced fibre-based electronics that already enable power supply and sensing functions and have spurred the growth of electronic textiles by developing integrated circuits in threadlike form. This allows the fibres to compute like chips or display... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341025/chinese-scientists-shrink-semiconductor-chip-fibre-thin-human-hair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341025/chinese-scientists-shrink-semiconductor-chip-fibre-thin-human-hair?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned to Earth with no astronauts inside – just metal, heat and a cracked window – touching down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Monday. The hull appeared to be darkened after enduring the intense heat and stress of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. But on-site inspections revealed the capsule’s exterior was generally intact and the returned items inside were in good condition, according to Chinese space authorities. In an interview with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340433/chinas-shenzhou-20-spacecraft-returns-earth-broken-and-unbroken?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340433/chinas-shenzhou-20-spacecraft-returns-earth-broken-and-unbroken?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:40:33 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese nuclear scientists have developed a world-class “microscopic scalpel” essential to various forms of chipmaking, potentially unblocking a bottleneck in the country’s efforts to fortify key supply chains. The China Institute of Atomic Energy said on Saturday that it had developed the nation’s first high-energy hydrogen ion implanter called the POWER-750H, saying it performed on a par with advanced international standards. Ion implanters are a critical part of some forms of semiconductor... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340321/could-chinas-ion-implanter-scalpel-carve-out-secure-hi-tech-chip-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340321/could-chinas-ion-implanter-scalpel-carve-out-secure-hi-tech-chip-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:00:42 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A giant airship launched in a densely populated area of southwestern China earlier this month has set social media on fire. Footage of the S2000, the world’s most powerful flying wind farm, in the skies above Yibin, Sichuan province, prompted comparisons with an alien spaceship or the airships that featured in the animated film Big Hero 6. The white airship – measuring 60 metres (200 feet) in length and a width and height of 40 metres – was filled with helium on the ground before ascent,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340267/could-flying-wind-farms-be-future-energy-generation-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340267/could-flying-wind-farms-be-future-energy-generation-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong One of China’s latest Earth observation satellites operating in low orbit could feature an optical aperture at a two-metre scale with “global leading” remote sensing capabilities, according to a China Science Daily report on Thursday last week. The report refers to the Yaogan-47 satellite, which was launched aboard a Long March 4B carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on December 9. For comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope and likely the US KH-11 spy satellite have main... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340036/could-chinas-yaogan-47-satellite-have-lens-wide-hubble-telescope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340036/could-chinas-yaogan-47-satellite-have-lens-wide-hubble-telescope?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China is stepping up its efforts to use its vast coal reserves instead of oil to produce plastics and synthetic rubber. Coal can be refined to make olefins – an essential raw material for tens of thousands of chemical products that include plastics, synthetic fibres and rubber. While the mainstream practice is to produce olefins from oil, using coal can bring significant cost savings and might help to reduce the country’s reliance on imported fuel at a time when Donald Trump is seeking to expand... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339629/china-planning-dozens-plants-use-coal-instead-oil-make-plastics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339629/china-planning-dozens-plants-use-coal-instead-oil-make-plastics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have unlocked a method to harvest gold from electronic waste at a cost less than a third of the present market price. This gold-mining method can extract precious metals from discarded central processing units (CPUs) in old mobile phones and computers and printed circuit boards (PCBs) removed from home appliances through chemical washing in less than 20 minutes. It achieves over 98.2 per cent gold leaching efficiency from waste CPUs and PCBs at room temperature, along with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339144/chinese-team-unveils-worlds-most-efficient-e-waste-gold-recovery-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339144/chinese-team-unveils-worlds-most-efficient-e-waste-gold-recovery-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:10:11 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A powerful aerospace simulation tool developed by Chinese researchers may have exposed potential vulnerabilities in the design of the United States’ most advanced stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider. The “all-in-one” PADJ-X software system, based on adjoint optimisation technology, was unveiled last month in a paper published by the peer-reviewed Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica. The system, which may be the first fully integrated, multidisciplinary platform for stealth aircraft design, uses... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338902/chinas-stealth-design-software-padj-x-finds-potential-flaws-b-21-bomber-configuration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338902/chinas-stealth-design-software-padj-x-finds-potential-flaws-b-21-bomber-configuration?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China has built and launched a super-powered artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to tap directly into its national supercomputing network and conduct high-level scientific research on its own. The scheme was launched on December 23, a month after US President Donald Trump unveiled the Genesis Mission – an “AI Manhattan Project” aimed at securing US technological dominance. While the US plan is bound by tight timelines, requiring proof of progress within 270 days, China has already... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338294/china-launches-super-powered-ai-science-system-take-donald-trumps-genesis-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338294/china-launches-super-powered-ai-science-system-take-donald-trumps-genesis-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 01:00:21 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Researchers in China have developed a fully modular, intelligent electric-drive heavy-duty vehicle that could be used as a mobile launcher for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The researchers said the vehicle could “crab walk” through tight or obstructed terrain that would defeat conventional launchers and its near-silent operation improved its stealth abilities. A prototype was unveiled in Beijing on December 21, less than two years after the project was approved in January 2024 as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337995/nuclear-game-changer-china-builds-crab-walking-electric-icbm-mobile-launcher-prototype?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337995/nuclear-game-changer-china-builds-crab-walking-electric-icbm-mobile-launcher-prototype?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong One of Henry Kissinger’s final and most sobering predictions before his death was that Japan would eventually pursue nuclear weapons. In a 2023 interview with The Economist, Kissinger warned that Japan was “heading towards becoming a nuclear power in five years”. Chinese nuclear experts estimate that Japan has the political motivation but also the technical capacity to develop nuclear weapons in less than three years, echoing Kissinger’s warning that Japan harbours ambitions to revive its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337876/chinese-nuclear-experts-believe-japan-could-build-nuclear-weapons-less-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337876/chinese-nuclear-experts-believe-japan-could-build-nuclear-weapons-less-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) on Friday announced a major milestone in the construction of one of the world’s biggest underground laboratories for nuclear waste as it completed a first-of-its-kind spiral ramp. Located deep in the Gobi Desert northwest of Jiuquan in Gansu province, the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory aims to address a fundamental challenge of nuclear energy development: the safe disposal of radioactive waste. “Nuclear energy is a clean and efficient power... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337894/china-hits-milestone-building-beishan-laboratory-managing-nuclear-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337894/china-hits-milestone-building-beishan-laboratory-managing-nuclear-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 10:45:22 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Researchers at China’s National University of Defence Technology have successfully accelerated a tonne-class vehicle to a record speed of 700 km/h (435mph) within just two seconds on a 400 metre (1,310-foot) magnetic levitation test line, and brought it safely to a stop. The test speed has set a new global benchmark, making it the world’s fastest superconducting electric maglev to date. This same force that flung a sledge down a short track could fling a rocket into the sky. It could even... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337735/chinas-record-smashing-maglev-achieves-0-700km/h-acceleration-less-2-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337735/chinas-record-smashing-maglev-achieves-0-700km/h-acceleration-less-2-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 14:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A whispered word of command could allow spies to take control of an army of robots, security researchers have warned. The vulnerability in humanoid robots, which could see disruptive behaviour spread from one machine to another and cause widespread chaos, was exposed a few weeks ago at the GEEKCon competition in Shanghai. Since its inception in 2014, GEEKCon has successfully held 17 events, bringing together “white-hat hackers” from China, the US, Russia and elsewhere to compete. Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337300/chinese-researchers-show-how-one-word-could-allow-spies-take-control-robot-army?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337300/chinese-researchers-show-how-one-word-could-allow-spies-take-control-robot-army?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have unveiled an optical computing chip that outperformed Nvidia’s leading AI hardware by over a hundredfold in speed and energy efficiency – particularly for generative tasks such as video production and image synthesis. The LightGen chip was developed by a team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tsinghua University, harnessing the speed of light to execute complex artificial intelligence workloads. With more than 2 million photonic neurons integrated into a compact chip,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336918/chinese-team-builds-optical-chip-ai-100-times-faster-nvidias-market-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336918/chinese-team-builds-optical-chip-ai-100-times-faster-nvidias-market-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:19:41 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong At a sprawling industrial complex in the Inner Mongolian city of Baotou, workers feed bag after bag of rare-earth additives into roaring furnaces, turning ordinary steel into a high-performance alloy worth twice as much. This is the front line of a technological leap being powered by China’s dominance in critical minerals and its strategic industrial policy. The advanced rare-earth steel being produced is used in the country’s most ambitious engineering projects – from high-speed railways to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336457/why-chinas-growing-demand-rare-earth-steel-bad-news-americas-f-35?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336457/why-chinas-growing-demand-rare-earth-steel-bad-news-americas-f-35?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The odds seemed impossible: a shoestring Chinese start-up founded in 2023 with just 1 million yuan (US$142,000) taking on Elon Musk – tech legend, disrupter in space and CEO of Tesla – who is valued at half a trillion dollars. But in less than two years, EngineAI Robotics, led by CEO Zhao Tongyang, created the T800 – a robot that delivers Bruce Lee-style roundhouse kicks with the force of a small car – and, under the instruction of smiling engineers and scientists, tried it first on the boss... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336182/how-chinas-us150000-robotic-start-beat-tesla-boss-elon-musk-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336182/how-chinas-us150000-robotic-start-beat-tesla-boss-elon-musk-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China has activated what may be the world’s largest distributed AI computing pool, alongside a high-speed data network developed over more than a decade, according to a state newspaper. The official Science and Technology Daily said the optical network connected distant computing centres, so they could work together almost as efficiently as a single giant computer. The 2,000km-wide (1,243-mile) computing power pool formed via this network could achieve 98 per cent of the efficiency of a single... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335773/over-10-years-making-china-launches-2000km-wide-ai-computing-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335773/over-10-years-making-china-launches-2000km-wide-ai-computing-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Imagine a robot that could tie your shoelaces to the perfect degree of tightness, or a robotic hand capable of performing abdominal surgery and then suturing the wound with impeccable precision. You might assume these feats would rely on complex electronic sensors, and yet a breakthrough by Chinese scientists has made it possible for robots to rival the skill of experienced surgeons – even with their “eyes closed” – using just a simple knot. The achievement, by an interdisciplinary team from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335515/one-small-step-ai-chinese-scientists-make-giant-leap-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335515/one-small-step-ai-chinese-scientists-make-giant-leap-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 14:00:12 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese aerospace firm Lingkong Tianxing unveiled a hypersonic glide missile last week that has a range of up to 1,300 km (800 miles) and a top speed of Mach 7. The YKJ-1000 has been nicknamed the “cement-coated” missile for its use of civilian-grade materials such as foamed concrete in its heat-resistant coating. According to slides widely circulated online, the unit production cost of this missile, already in mass production after successful combat trials, may be as low as 700,000 yuan (around... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334933/chinas-dirt-cheap-hypersonic-missiles-could-upend-global-defence-markets-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334933/chinas-dirt-cheap-hypersonic-missiles-could-upend-global-defence-markets-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000