https://www.scmp.com/rss/516035/feed Prior to joining SCMP in 2023, Victoria received her Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Health and Environmental Studies from the University of Rochester, where she also worked in a Biochemistry lab. She holds a Master's in Public Policy from Peking University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 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 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 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 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 Liu Zhen,Victoria Bela Liu Zhen,Victoria Bela One crew member from a US fighter jet shot down over Iran has been rescued by US forces, multiple news outlets reported on Friday, citing two US officials, while a second crew member remains missing. A separate US aircraft was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz, though its pilot was rescued safely, according to the reports. Iran claimed on Friday to have shot down the American jet, releasing photos of apparent wreckage of an F-15E. The United States reportedly launched a search-and-rescue... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349006/one-us-pilot-rescued-another-missing-after-iran-says-it-downed-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349006/one-us-pilot-rescued-another-missing-after-iran-says-it-downed-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:47:43 +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 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 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 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have created an all-weather electrolyte that could improve lithium batteries, allowing them to operate more efficiently at room temperature and in extreme environments. The research team from Shanghai and Tianjin said batteries made using the hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolyte had more than double the energy density of those made with traditional electrolytes when operating at room temperature. They said the batteries could also operate efficiently at minus 70 degrees Celsius... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348185/chinese-lithium-battery-electrolyte-could-double-ev-range-and-run-extreme-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348185/chinese-lithium-battery-electrolyte-could-double-ev-range-and-run-extreme-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela As electric vehicle (EV) use surges globally, scientists have raised concerns about the performance of such batteries in high temperatures, including the possible impact of climate change on their usable lifespan. But a study published this month by researchers in China and the US has found that major advances in EV battery technologies will mitigate the impact of future warming. They studied the impact by creating an advanced model that captures future climate change and EV battery degradation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347672/does-climate-change-accelerate-ev-battery-ageing-not-so-fast-researchers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347672/does-climate-change-accelerate-ev-battery-ageing-not-so-fast-researchers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:10:26 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s southern tech hub of Shenzhen has a new Communist Party chief, nearly six months after the city’s former party boss was promoted to provincial governor. State media announced on Sunday that Jin Lei, 56, had been appointed Shenzhen’s party chief as well as a member of the Guangdong provincial party committee and its standing committee. Jin, an economist and former official in the southwestern province of Sichuan, takes over from Meng Fanli, who had been in the position since April... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347482/veteran-iphone-city-tapped-party-boss-chinas-silicon-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347482/veteran-iphone-city-tapped-party-boss-chinas-silicon-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 11:01:00 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s drive to grow 90 per cent of its own grain by 2032 just gained a critical weapon: an unmanned ratoon rice farm that produces 50 per cent higher yields. By harnessing smart seedling care, sowing, growing and harvesting, a Chinese biotechnology company and scientists from several institutes have built the world’s first smart farm for regenerated rice. Located in the Datong Lake District in China’s central Hunan province, the smart rice farm has enabled an ancient but technically... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347232/can-china-massively-reduce-food-imports-super-efficient-unmanned-rice-farms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347232/can-china-massively-reduce-food-imports-super-efficient-unmanned-rice-farms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 06:00:18 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the US-Israel war on Iran has sparked a legal and ethical debate, as well as condemnation from countries including China after a deadly missile strike on a primary school. To prepare for its operations against Iran, the US military reportedly used Palantir’s Maven Smart System, an AI platform that incorporates models like Anthropic’s Claude to aggregate large amounts of data. A US-based source familiar with the matter said the only thing that Claude or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346519/deadly-strike-iranian-primary-school-raises-questions-about-ai-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346519/deadly-strike-iranian-primary-school-raises-questions-about-ai-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela The hostilities in the Middle East have renewed concerns about Israel’s widely known but officially unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, with an expert warning of catastrophic consequences if the weapons were used in the armed conflict. According to Alicia Sanders-Zakre, head of policy at the Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), it is “widely acknowledged among experts that Israel is a nuclear-armed country, but this has never been formally acknowledged by Israel or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346350/israels-90-nuclear-warheads-make-any-strike-iran-really-dangerous-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346350/israels-90-nuclear-warheads-make-any-strike-iran-really-dangerous-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China will power up an ultra-efficient, nuclear waste-burning reactor with technology that it projects will safely meet humanity’s energy needs for the next 1,000 years. Accelerator-driven subcritical systems (ADS) are advanced nuclear reactors that can both generate energy and transmute long-lived radioactive waste into shorter-lived and less hazardous isotopes. Designed by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) along with state nuclear enterprises, the China Initiative... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345661/1000-year-source-china-plans-fire-world-first-accelerator-driven-nuclear-reactor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345661/1000-year-source-china-plans-fire-world-first-accelerator-driven-nuclear-reactor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:59:33 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Artificial intelligence will be a focal point of the scientific agenda at Beijing’s annual legislative meeting and coming five-year plan, as China and the US pursue divergent AI paths putting their tech ecosystems at odds. Just over a year ago, Chinese start-up DeepSeek released an open-source AI model that changed how the world viewed the country’s AI capabilities and ambitions. Chinese companies have embraced an open-source approach to AI development, which has rapidly scaled usage of their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345440/two-sessions-two-paths-china-prioritises-ai-integration-amid-us-tech-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345440/two-sessions-two-paths-china-prioritises-ai-integration-amid-us-tech-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:55:08 +0000 Victoria Bela,Vanessa Cai Victoria Bela,Vanessa Cai Beijing has urged Chinese nationals in Iran to take security precautions as the risk of US air strikes grows, with no sign of a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. In an advisory early on Saturday, China’s embassy in Tehran said there were “external security risks that have risen significantly” and Chinese nationals in Iran should “closely monitor changes in the security situation and strengthen their safety awareness”. Hours earlier, the foreign ministry in Beijing used similar language when it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344924/china-tells-citizens-get-out-iran-soon-possible-us-strike-fears-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344924/china-tells-citizens-get-out-iran-soon-possible-us-strike-fears-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:51:23 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has stepped in to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan following an escalation of their conflict, urging both sides to end the fighting and settle their disputes through dialogue. This comes after Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan on Friday, including the capital Kabul, and declared “open war” with its neighbour after months of deadly clashes. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that as a neighbour and a friend to both countries, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344907/china-seeks-mediate-after-pakistan-declares-open-war-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344907/china-seeks-mediate-after-pakistan-declares-open-war-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:14:43 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s top legislature has removed nine military officials from its list of deputies ahead of Beijing’s biggest annual political meeting next week, according to state news agency Xinhua. The National People’s Congress (NPC) updated its list of deputies from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and People’s Armed Police delegation on Thursday, reducing the total to 243. Among the deputies removed were five full generals, one lieutenant general and three major generals. The five generals are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344768/chinas-top-legislature-removes-9-military-officials-ahead-beijings-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344768/chinas-top-legislature-removes-9-military-officials-ahead-beijings-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:57:48 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela The Wassenaar Arrangement has long been seen as a symbol of China’s isolation from the global community. This major international regime controls the export of weapons and advanced technologies, and its 42 member states include nearly all developed Western countries, nations closely tied to China like Russia, and developing countries such as India. Together, they have worked to block non-members’ access to cutting-edge defence technologies and equipment. In China, the arrangement is viewed as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342608/wassenaar-arrangement-will-china-join-or-kill-30-year-old-weapon-control-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342608/wassenaar-arrangement-will-china-join-or-kill-30-year-old-weapon-control-club?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have made a long-lasting, eco-friendly battery using organic electrodes and an electrolyte safe enough to be used as tofu brine. The team’s water-based battery is non-toxic and can be discarded without posing an ecological risk, unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries which require hazardous waste processing. Water-based batteries eliminate the flammability risk of conventional batteries and can be cheaper to produce, offering a safer alternative for applications such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344099/chinese-scientists-create-new-battery-electrolyte-safe-tofu-brine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344099/chinese-scientists-create-new-battery-electrolyte-safe-tofu-brine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have used artificial intelligence to make progress on a more than 300-year-old maths problem that has implications for large-scale data storage and advanced telecommunications. Using an AI system called PackingStar, the researchers made record-breaking advances on the “kissing number” problem, surpassing the limits of human geometric intuition and standard computing. The work done by the team was like a “romance” between machines and humans exploring science together, they... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343961/romance-between-scientists-and-ai-leads-progress-age-old-maths-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343961/romance-between-scientists-and-ai-leads-progress-age-old-maths-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Twelve people were killed in an explosion at a fireworks shop in Hubei in central China on Wednesday, just days after eight people died in a similar incident in a nearby province. The accident happened just before 2.30pm on the second day of Lunar New Year in Zhengji township in the city of Xiangyang, state news agency Xinhua reported. The report added that the subsequent fire spread across the premises and was put out within an hour. An investigation into the cause is under way. The explosion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343931/12-killed-chinas-second-deadly-lunar-new-year-firework-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343931/12-killed-chinas-second-deadly-lunar-new-year-firework-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:15:02 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s first man in space, Yang Liwei, has officially retired from active duty, but he has not stopped training and remains ready to put on a spacesuit again if needed. He said in a CCTV interview on Saturday that the country’s first group of astronauts had been grounded in October according to regulations, but “if our motherland needs us, we can resume flights”. Yang, now a deputy chief designer for China’s crewed space programme, was the first Chinese national to reach Earth’s orbit in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343746/chinas-first-man-space-yang-liwei-officially-retires-active-duty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343746/chinas-first-man-space-yang-liwei-officially-retires-active-duty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:00:57 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have developed microelectrodes that can flex and move with the brain, potentially paving the way for more advanced and adaptable brain-computer interfaces, according to a study published by the peer-reviewed Nature Electronics. The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the design of the neuronal activity recorders was inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, with its intricate 3D designs achieved by cutting and folding paper. The scientists said their design... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343486/japanese-paper-cutting-art-inspires-flexible-brain-implants-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343486/japanese-paper-cutting-art-inspires-flexible-brain-implants-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has successfully completed a crucial safety test and fired off a new-generation rocket as part of the country’s preparations for a crewed mission to the moon. Wednesday’s escape test on board the Mengzhou crew carrier was designed to ensure that astronauts could be safely returned to Earth if something went wrong during the launch. The Chinese space programme had already carried out a ground-level safety test in June, but the latest test was designed to check that crew members would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343144/chinas-mengzhou-spacecraft-passes-key-test-2030-crewed-moon-mission-long-march-10-rocket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343144/chinas-mengzhou-spacecraft-passes-key-test-2030-crewed-moon-mission-long-march-10-rocket?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 03:58:21 +0000 Victoria Bela,Shi Huang Victoria Bela,Shi Huang Elon Musk has pivoted from his long-standing focus on Mars, announcing an ambitious plan to set up a “self-growing city” on the moon in less than a decade. The plan could see Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, competing for prime space with China’s planned International Lunar Research Station, which Beijing aims to establish by 2035. While it is possible both the United States and China could have bases on the moon within a decade, a space expert said it would require massive infrastructure that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343083/will-musks-moon-pivot-put-spacex-collision-course-chinas-lunar-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343083/will-musks-moon-pivot-put-spacex-collision-course-chinas-lunar-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:09:50 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela As US President Donald Trump continues to wage war against renewable energy, a new Chinese study revealing the strain that renewable integration places on power transformers could give him fresh technical ammunition. The researchers discovered that high renewable energy integration could make power transformers, vital components that regulate voltage in electricity grids, age faster than previously thought. High levels of wind and solar energy increased bidirectional power flow switching – the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342827/us-transformers-are-ageing-renewable-energy-could-make-things-worse-china-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342827/us-transformers-are-ageing-renewable-energy-could-make-things-worse-china-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have developed a plant-inspired method to convert carbon dioxide and water into valuable chemicals, such as the building blocks for petrol, by using solar energy. The process – inspired by photosynthesis, where plants harness sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to generate energy – could help produce a sustainable source of fuel, the researchers said. The team, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said they had developed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342716/how-chinese-scientists-made-petrol-building-blocks-co2-water-and-sunlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342716/how-chinese-scientists-made-petrol-building-blocks-co2-water-and-sunlight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Tibet’s exploitable solar, wind and hydropower resources alone could theoretically meet all of China’s energy needs, government survey data suggests. According to researchers from the China Society for Hydropower Engineering and the state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, the technically exploitable capacity of hydropower in Tibet could reach 178 gigawatts, and more than 100GW for wind power. They said the development potential of solar power could reach 10,000GW, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342334/tibets-exploitable-green-power-could-meet-chinas-energy-needs-official-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342334/tibets-exploitable-green-power-could-meet-chinas-energy-needs-official-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:02:04 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A Chinese drug could help manage outbreaks of Nipah and prevent the spread of the deadly virus that has no vaccine or cure, researchers have said. The virus has a fatality rate of up to 75 per cent and the most recent outbreak in the Indian state of West Bengal has infected at least five people. While the virus has no approved treatment, researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology have found that VV116 – an oral antiviral drug originally developed to treat Covid-19 – allowed two-thirds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341474/china-has-drug-could-help-india-battle-deadly-nipah-virus-outbreak-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341474/china-has-drug-could-help-india-battle-deadly-nipah-virus-outbreak-study?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 02:07:03 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have increased the yield of a carbon dioxide-to-starch conversion method by more than 10 times, potentially paving the way for industrial starch production without the need for agriculture. In 2021, researchers from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (TIB) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the world’s first method to synthesise starch from carbon dioxide with the help of enzymes. In a peer-reviewed Science paper at the time, the team reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341032/chinese-scientists-turn-carbon-dioxide-starch-10-fold-productivity-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341032/chinese-scientists-turn-carbon-dioxide-starch-10-fold-productivity-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A small number of Chinese satellites and space debris forced SpaceX’s Starlink fleet to execute a large number of collision avoidance manoeuvres last year, as both sides complained of safety challenges from rival internet megaconstellations. The largest culprit was Hongqing Technology’s Honghu-2 satellite, which accounted for 1,143 such manoeuvres. The experimental satellite was launched aboard LandSpace’s Zhuque 2 Y-3 rocket in December 2023. Such manoeuvres consume fuel and shorten a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340788/chinese-satellites-spacex-says-were-collision-course-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340788/chinese-satellites-spacex-says-were-collision-course-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela,Stephen Chen Victoria Bela,Stephen Chen Four Chinese groups are racing to build global satellite communications infrastructure to challenge the considerable head start made by US tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink. The two leaders for China so far are the central-government-backed GuoWang and Shanghai-backed Qianfan. They have the most satellites in orbit and plans to eventually deploy more than 10,000 apiece. Carmaker Geely’s Geespace also has satellites in space. The fourth group, Hongqing Technology, 48 per cent owned by... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china-future-tech/aerospace/article/3340638/chinese-rivals-musks-starlink-wrestle-rocket-constraints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china-future-tech/aerospace/article/3340638/chinese-rivals-musks-starlink-wrestle-rocket-constraints?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:45:12 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela In 2021, when Beijing finally pledged to stop building and financing new coal power plants overseas, Western governments and climate advocates rejoiced. John Kerry, US climate envoy at the time, said he was “absolutely delighted to hear” of the decision. It is “a key topic of my discussions during my visit to China”, Alok Sharma, a member of the British House of Lords, wrote on social media, suggesting it was a result of pressure from the West. But now, from Chile to Spain to Portugal, country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339280/chinas-coal-fired-export-ban-was-cheered-west-then-came-massive-blackouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339280/chinas-coal-fired-export-ban-was-cheered-west-then-came-massive-blackouts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela In a historic blow to its space programme, China suffered two rocket launch failures in a single day for the first time over the weekend. While Saturday’s failed launches gained immediate attention on social media, with some describing the day as “Black Saturday”, space observers said the setbacks were part of the growing pains the country’s rapidly developing aerospace industry would inevitably experience. They also drew parallels with similar problems Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX had experienced,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340463/china-suffers-unprecedented-double-rocket-launch-failures-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340463/china-suffers-unprecedented-double-rocket-launch-failures-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:00:17 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have found a way to recycle lithium batteries using only carbon dioxide and water – eliminating the need for harsh, polluting chemicals to extract the lithium and upcycle cathode materials. The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Institute of Technology said they used a “three-in-one” strategy to improve lithium recovery, upgrade transition metals like cobalt and nickel, and sequester carbon to eliminate waste by-products. Their method achieved a lithium... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340214/co2-h2o-cleaner-recycling-dead-lithium-batteries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340214/co2-h2o-cleaner-recycling-dead-lithium-batteries?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have made the first direct observation of a quantum effect that was proposed almost 90 years ago and could help detect dark matter, the universe’s invisible “glue”. Soviet physicist Arkady Migdal developed a theory in Leningrad in 1939 about what would happen when a neutral particle – such as dark matter – collided with an atomic nucleus. Migdal believed that the collision would cause the nucleus to recoil and trigger a secondary electronic recoil, generating a detectable... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340161/chinese-scientists-unlock-possible-key-dark-matter-after-almost-90-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340161/chinese-scientists-unlock-possible-key-dark-matter-after-almost-90-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese firms have signalled plans to launch more than 200,000 internet satellites, filing submissions with a UN agency just as Beijing accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of crowding shared orbital resources. A dozen or so submissions from various Chinese satellite players were filed with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) at the end of last month. The biggest projects – CTC-1 and CTC-2 – were for 96,714 satellites each and filed by the newly established Institute of Radio Spectrum... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339493/china-applies-put-200000-satellites-space-after-calling-starlink-crash-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339493/china-applies-put-200000-satellites-space-after-calling-starlink-crash-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A China-led team has built the world’s first mini-womb on a chip that can fully replicate the “invasion” of human embryos in the uterus during early pregnancy. Their 3D model on a microfluidic chip can be used to uncover the mysteries behind human embryo implantation and lead to personalised treatments for women struggling to get pregnant. The team led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology said that while achieving a better understanding of human implantation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339247/china-led-team-replicates-human-embryo-invasion-womb-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339247/china-led-team-replicates-human-embryo-invasion-womb-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 04:00:20 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scientists in China have discovered fossils of a new mammal-like reptile species in Gansu province – the first of its genus to be found in both South Africa and China. The finding suggests that Late Permian (299 to 252 million years ago) tetrapods crossed the equator of the supercontinent Pangaea more often than expected, revealing an ecological corridor capable of supporting large animal migration. The new species of dicynodont, an extinct clade of non-mammalian therapsids – a group that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338477/china-fossil-unveils-cross-equator-migration-corridor-supercontinent-pangaea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338477/china-fossil-unveils-cross-equator-migration-corridor-supercontinent-pangaea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A groundbreaking Chinese innovation is turning one of climate policy’s oldest assumptions on its head: that cutting emissions inevitably hurts the economy. Critics including US President Donald Trump have long dismissed green regulations as a drag on industry, claiming they raise costs and cut production. Even the European Union is now reconsidering its phase-out targets for fossil fuel vehicles, using the negative economic impact as justification. But new research from a team led by the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338372/chinas-emission-free-tech-boosts-productivity-3-fold-debunks-trumps-green-burden-theory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338372/chinas-emission-free-tech-boosts-productivity-3-fold-debunks-trumps-green-burden-theory?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s biopharmaceutical sector is said to have entered an “innovation 2.0” phase as it moves to a commercialisation mindset that could see it sideline global competitors and outpace the US – despite restrictive trade policies. In recent years, innovative drug development in the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market has rapidly approached – and in some cases surpassed – that of the United States, the world’s biggest market. Growing concerns over China’s biotech capabilities have led the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338481/chinas-biopharma-sector-prime-position-challenge-us-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338481/chinas-biopharma-sector-prime-position-challenge-us-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela SpaceX has announced it will reconfigure its Starlink internet satellite constellation by lowering the orbit of more than 4,400 satellites throughout 2026, shortly after Beijing said the project posed “safety and security challenges”. The move aims to relocate the satellites to orbital regions less crowded by space debris and other planned satellite constellations, reducing the risk of collisions and allowing satellites to deorbit faster. It comes after an unnamed representative from Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338547/spacex-will-move-more-4400-satellites-lower-orbit-after-china-cited-safety-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338547/spacex-will-move-more-4400-satellites-lower-orbit-after-china-cited-safety-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:00:22 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has warned that the rapid expansion of internet satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink presented “pronounced safety and security challenges”. Addressing an informal United Nations Security Council event initiated by Russia on Monday, Beijing’s representative cited several incidents, including near collisions between Starlink satellites and the Chinese space station in 2021, and a satellite that disintegrated in December. The representative also pointed to the disregard of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338409/china-warns-satellites-elon-musks-starlink-are-safety-and-security-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338409/china-warns-satellites-elon-musks-starlink-are-safety-and-security-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:00:13 +0000