https://www.scmp.com/rss/517942/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on China National Nuclear Corporation. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The chief designer on the J-20 stealth fighter jet has been removed from the website of China’s national research institute, amid a sweeping campaign to stamp out corruption in the defence sector. Yang Wei, 62, had been listed as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the top academic body for science and technology. But as of Monday, his name was no longer on the site, according to a snapshot from Internet Archive, which seeks to preserve online content. Yang has not appeared in public... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346972/j-20-fighter-jet-designer-scrubbed-chinese-academy-sciences-website?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346972/j-20-fighter-jet-designer-scrubbed-chinese-academy-sciences-website?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +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 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has removed three senior defence industry executives, including a nuclear weapons expert, from the national legislature as part of a deepening anti-corruption campaign. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday said it had expelled Liu Cangli, former president of the China Academy of Engineering Physics, Luo Qi, chief engineer of the China National Nuclear Corporation, and Zhou Xinmin, former chairman of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It did not say... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342411/china-expels-defence-industry-officials-legislature-amid-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3342411/china-expels-defence-industry-officials-legislature-amid-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:49:39 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China plans to power a world-class petrochemical complex under construction with ultra-high-temperature steam from an unprecedented three-reactor nuclear system. The steam can reach up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 Fahrenheit) – high enough to break molecules apart. Located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, the project combines two third-generation Hualong One pressurised water reactors with one fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) for heating and electricity... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340622/china-building-world-first-triad-reactor-system-power-world-class-chemical-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340622/china-building-world-first-triad-reactor-system-power-world-class-chemical-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:59:48 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s pursuit of commercial nuclear fusion technology has intensified this year, fuelled by a fresh round of financing for start-ups and state-backed initiatives. Startorus Fusion last week raised 1 billion yuan (US$143 million) from its series A round, a record for a single financing round by a private nuclear fusion company on the mainland, according to a report by the Securities Times. The deal, announced on January 12, was led by state-owned funds in Shanghai, which contributed around 400... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340430/chinas-nuclear-fusion-start-ups-power-record-funding-round?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340430/chinas-nuclear-fusion-start-ups-power-record-funding-round?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 02:00:09 +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 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Beijing for his three-day visit to China on Wednesday – and he is not coming alone. Alongside his wife Brigitte, the French leader is bringing a delegation of more than 80 people, including multiple ministers and nearly 40 CEOs from across the corporate world. Despite rising trade tensions between China and Europe, the long guestlist signals that Macron is travelling to Beijing looking to do business – and hints at France’s likely priorities. From... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335036/pandas-nuclear-power-what-macron-wants-his-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335036/pandas-nuclear-power-what-macron-wants-his-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 07:47:38 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has brought online the world’s first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide power generator – a revolutionary clean energy technology pioneered by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). This power generator, which uses carbon dioxide instead of steam to transfer heat, has been connected to the grid from a steel production plant in China’s southwestern province of Guizhou to produce electricity from waste heat, according to a social media post by CNNC’s Nuclear Power Institute of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333982/nuclear-tech-milestone-chinas-supercritical-steam-free-generator-connects-grid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333982/nuclear-tech-milestone-chinas-supercritical-steam-free-generator-connects-grid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Investment in nuclear fusion power is heating up in China, with Ant Group placing a bet on the developing technology as energy becomes a new front in the US-China artificial intelligence race. Hefei-based Xeonova said on Monday it had raised hundreds of millions of yuan in a pre-A funding round led by Ant Group. Other investors include Hidden Hill Capital and Zijin Mining Group. Ant Group is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the Post. Fusion, the process of combining two light... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3332192/ant-group-joins-chinas-nuclear-fusion-funding-surge-ai-race-fuels-energy-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3332192/ant-group-joins-chinas-nuclear-fusion-funding-surge-ai-race-fuels-energy-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 10:00:31 +0000 Frank Chen,Stephen Chen,Dannie Peng Frank Chen,Stephen Chen,Dannie Peng China is leading the way in nuclear power, with huge plans to boost its generating capacity and cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs. About half of the world’s under-construction nuclear power plants are in China as the country works to boost electricity production while still meeting commitments under the Paris climate accord. The goal is to raise nuclear’s share of national power supply to 28 per cent by 2050 from about 5 per cent now. Chinese research has enhanced nuclear power, including a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3331870/chinas-nuclear-power-plans-match-rest-world-combined?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3331870/chinas-nuclear-power-plans-match-rest-world-combined?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 04:35:08 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan Earlier this month, China National Nuclear Corporation quietly marked a groundbreaking achievement. It announced that Linglong One – which it has billed as the world’s first commercial land-based small modular reactor – had successfully completed its “cold functional test”. This is the first comprehensive assessment of a reactor, done before fuel loading, checking how the system functions under high pressure. Linglong One, which has been much cheaper to construct than the larger Hualong One... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3330563/can-energy-hungry-asia-embrace-nuclear-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3330563/can-energy-hungry-asia-embrace-nuclear-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scientists in China and Britain have found that the far side of the moon is not only visually different from the near side, but it may also be colder. The team made the discovery after analysing the first-ever rock samples returned to Earth from the moon’s far side, retrieved during China’s Chang’e-6 mission last year. By comparing the samples with those taken from the near side, they revealed a thermal asymmetry between the two sides of the moon, with the minerals from the far side appearing to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3327763/chinas-change-6-samples-reveal-moons-two-faced-temperatures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3327763/chinas-change-6-samples-reveal-moons-two-faced-temperatures?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Ling Xin,Dannie Peng Ling Xin,Dannie Peng China’s “artificial sun” is at the forefront of efforts to harness a dream energy source – nuclear fusion. The doughnut-shaped facility, called a tokamak, uses super-powerful magnets to control hot, charged gas plasma at temperatures more than six times hotter than the centre of the sun. It has sustained plasma for more than 17 minutes at a temperature of over 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit), smashing the previous record, according to a statement earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3326498/chinas-artificial-sun-aims-limitless-nuclear-fusion-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3326498/chinas-artificial-sun-aims-limitless-nuclear-fusion-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:00:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng When Sama Bilbao y León, director general of the World Nuclear Association – a global industry body based in London – toured China’s nuclear facilities this summer, she was left speechless. “I couldn’t close my mouth in amazement,” she admitted, stunned by China’s advanced capabilities and “incredible” industrial scale. This awe-inspiring progress exists despite stringent US sanctions – including the 2019 blacklisting of China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) and the recent suspension of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322757/how-us-nuclear-sanctions-china-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322757/how-us-nuclear-sanctions-china-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s state-owned nuclear power firm has unveiled the design for an advanced nuclear reactor that could mark a “crucial step” in the country’s plans to develop next-generation nuclear energy. Named the CFR-1000, it will be China’s first commercial fourth-generation gigawatt-level fast neutron reactor. The facility is now awaiting approval and expected to become operational after 2030. Other major nuclear powers, including Russia and the United States, are also working on advanced reactors with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319627/chinas-next-generation-nuclear-plans-take-step-forward-fast-gigawatt-reactor-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319627/chinas-next-generation-nuclear-plans-take-step-forward-fast-gigawatt-reactor-design?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Carl Zhang Carl Zhang A Chinese energy giant has claimed a new benchmark in exploration of uranium, a resource growing in demand and importance in the country’s quest for energy security. State-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said on Friday that it had detected a deposit of sandstone-type industrial uranium mineralisation at a record depth of 1,820 metres (5,971 feet) underground in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. This type of uranium deposit is generally bigger and easier and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319037/chinese-nuclear-giant-cnnc-sets-new-benchmark-uranium-exploration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319037/chinese-nuclear-giant-cnnc-sets-new-benchmark-uranium-exploration?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:30:06 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang China has made a breakthrough in uranium mining and processing by unlocking complex sandstone deposits once seen as too challenging to develop, as Beijing ramps up efforts towards a green transition and energy security. The country’s largest natural uranium project had yielded its first barrel, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced on Saturday. The “National No 1 Uranium” demonstration project was launched a year ago in the Ordos basin of northern Inner Mongolia, home to China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318046/will-chinas-no-tunnel-no-toxic-waste-uranium-mine-be-nuclear-energy-game-changer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318046/will-chinas-no-tunnel-no-toxic-waste-uranium-mine-be-nuclear-energy-game-changer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 11:02:42 +0000 Stefan Antić Stefan Antić Amid escalating geopolitical tensions including the Israel-Iran conflict and renewed strife between India and Pakistan, China is leaning on regional diplomacy to safeguard its strategic interests. Central Asia stands out as a zone of stability, offering Beijing both geographic proximity and strategic opportunity. On June 17, the leaders of China and five Central Asian states gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, for the second China-Central Asia Summit. It marked another milestone in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3316511/why-central-asia-plays-growing-role-chinas-strategic-calculus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3316511/why-central-asia-plays-growing-role-chinas-strategic-calculus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic As Israel’s war on Iran rages and Russia intensifies its missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, China is quietly expanding its influence in Central Asia. The second China-Central Asia Summit, held in Astana in Kazakhstan last week, was an ideal opportunity for Beijing to strengthen economic and political ties not only with the host country but also with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The Astana Times reported that a total of 58 agreements worth nearly US$25 billion were signed... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3314892/why-chinas-central-asian-footprint-about-get-bigger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3314892/why-chinas-central-asian-footprint-about-get-bigger?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held talks with President Vladimir Putin in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg on Thursday after which the duo signed a declaration on a strategic partnership between the two nations, the Kremlin said. The deepening of ties between Russia and Indonesia, part of Moscow’s bid to forge new relations with the Global South amid Western attempts to isolate it over the Ukraine war, has perturbed some powers such as Australia. Sovereign wealth fund Danantara... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3315110/putin-hosts-indonesias-prabowo-russia-bid-deepen-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3315110/putin-hosts-indonesias-prabowo-russia-bid-deepen-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:45:05 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China will nearly double its nuclear power capacity by 2040, making it by far the world’s largest nuclear power generator, according to a new report by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA). The country is set to build dozens of new reactors to raise its installed capacity to 200 gigawatts – more than double the US’ current capacity – by the end of the next decade, the Chinese industry body said in the paper released on Monday. Beijing has embarked on one of the fastest buildouts of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314794/china-nearly-double-nuclear-power-capacity-2040-rapid-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314794/china-nearly-double-nuclear-power-capacity-2040-rapid-build?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:30:10 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Chinese scientists have developed an artificial intelligence system that can distinguish real nuclear warheads from decoys, marking the world’s first AI-driven solution for arms control verification. The technology, disclosed in a peer-reviewed paper published in April by researchers with the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), could bolster Beijing’s stance in stalled international disarmament talks while fuelling debate on the role of AI in managing weapons of mass destruction. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312270/china-unveils-worlds-first-ai-nuke-inspector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312270/china-unveils-worlds-first-ai-nuke-inspector?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China and the United States have agreed to a temporary, partial truce in their unprecedented trade war, but their heated rivalry is far from over. As the dust settles in the wake of April’s frenzied tariff battle and Monday’s deal that saw import duties drop 115 per cent on both sides, the world’s two largest economies are actively courting emerging markets to gain the upper hand in the event tensions flare up again. As US President Donald Trump travelled to the Middle East for the first... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3310341/china-us-sign-duelling-deals-after-agreeing-trade-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3310341/china-us-sign-duelling-deals-after-agreeing-trade-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Nearly 1.2 million Chinese university students have applied for 8,000 positions at China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a prominent state-owned conglomerate, during a recruitment drive on campuses, underscoring the stiff competition young people face in today’s job market. CNNC, China’s civilian and military nuclear giant, sparked a public backlash after proudly announcing last weekend that it had received 1.196 million résumés from young jobseekers during its recently concluded... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3305996/chinese-nuclear-giants-recruitment-boast-sparks-backlash-young-jobseekers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3305996/chinese-nuclear-giants-recruitment-boast-sparks-backlash-young-jobseekers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang China’s increasing nuclear power capacity drives a growing demand for uranium. The country imported 13,000 tonnes of natural uranium in 2024, while domestic production was only about 1,700 tonnes. With its uranium mines unable to keep up with demand, Chinese scientists have turned their attention to the sea. The world’s oceans are estimated to contain 4.5 billion tonnes of uranium, 1,000 times the amount of uranium ore reserves in the ground. However, the concentration of the heavy metal is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3304771/chinese-scientists-find-way-make-seawater-uranium-extraction-40-times-more-efficient?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3304771/chinese-scientists-find-way-make-seawater-uranium-extraction-40-times-more-efficient?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Some 10 years ago, rocket scientists and weapon engineers in China’s defence industry management were among President Xi Jinping’s most favoured talent pools, as he sought brainpower untainted by local factional corruption to support his ambitious technology drive. Of the 24 men currently on the Politburo, the Communist Party’s decision-making body, three spent decades in the aerospace and defence industries and now oversee key regional economies or sectors on a national level. As Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303282/how-did-top-brains-behind-chinas-advanced-weapons-become-targets-its-anti-graft-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303282/how-did-top-brains-behind-chinas-advanced-weapons-become-targets-its-anti-graft-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 22:00:15 +0000 Beijing has set an ambitious target for the expansion of commercial applications for its nuclear technology in a variety of industries, projecting an annual economic output of 400 billion yuan (US$55.25 billion) by 2026. The benchmark – revealed by Li Song, China’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – would mean a large increase over the next two years, since the figure was around 240 billion yuan in 2023. Areas of focus for the technology would be in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3301756/china-wants-supercharge-growth-applications-nuclear-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3301756/china-wants-supercharge-growth-applications-nuclear-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:46:54 +0000 China’s rapidly expanding nuclear power industry passed a major milestone on New Year’s Day, as the first reactor at a sprawling new plant on the country’s southeastern coastline started feeding power into the national grid. The move marks the first time a Hualong One – China’s third-generation nuclear reactor – has been put into large-scale commercial operation, according to its developer, as China cranks up its efforts to become a leading player in nuclear energy. The plant in Zhangzhou,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3293172/chinas-nuclear-power-drive-gains-steam-major-new-reactor-comes-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3293172/chinas-nuclear-power-drive-gains-steam-major-new-reactor-comes-online?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 12:00:18 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng A Chinese state-owned nuclear company said it has started mass production of the world’s first chip that can detect X-ray and gamma radiation, in the latest sign of China’s unrelenting efforts to seek semiconductor technology breakthroughs. The state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said in a statement on its official WeChat channel that the self-developed chip can measure dose rates of X- and gamma-ray radiation ranging from 100 nanoSievert per hour to 10 milliSievert per hour.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284168/chinese-state-owned-nuclear-company-claims-breakthrough-radiation-detection-chip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284168/chinese-state-owned-nuclear-company-claims-breakthrough-radiation-detection-chip?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2024 09:04:56 +0000 China’s first nuclear-powered steam generation project for industrial use has begun production, as Beijing accelerates its diversification of nuclear energy and promotes a low-carbon transformation of energy. The project, named Heqi No 1, officially went into operation on Wednesday, according to its constructor, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a state-owned enterprise with a complete nuclear technology industry framework. Through a 23.3km (14.5 miles) above-ground pipeline, CNNC... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267446/chinas-first-industrial-nuclear-powered-steam-generation-project-goes-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3267446/chinas-first-industrial-nuclear-powered-steam-generation-project-goes-line?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 05:00:09 +0000 A leading Chinese nuclear fuel engineer has been placed under investigation, becoming the latest case in Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on corruption in “high-risk” areas such as energy and state-owned enterprises. Li Guangchang, a member of the science and technology committee of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), is suspected of committing serious violations of discipline and law, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement on its website. He is undergoing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3250877/chinese-nuclear-fuel-engineer-li-guangchang-latest-corruption-net-clean-drive-high-risk-areas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3250877/chinese-nuclear-fuel-engineer-li-guangchang-latest-corruption-net-clean-drive-high-risk-areas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 06:24:58 +0000 China is setting up a new state-owned company to pool resources from across the country to bring a nuclear fusion reactor – known as an artificial sun – to life, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The formation of China Fusion Energy Inc was announced on December 29 during its opening ceremony, and unites China’s fusion energy research and development, which had been scattered among research institutes and private firms. Chen Rui, founder of Startorus Fusion, a hi-tech... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247145/chinas-new-fusion-energy-inc-pool-national-resources-push-build-artificial-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247145/chinas-new-fusion-energy-inc-pool-national-resources-push-build-artificial-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jan 2024 10:19:01 +0000 If it was not for the signage at the entrance, it would be difficult to find the site of Linglong One – a facility that will be the world’s first commercial onshore small modular reactor (SMR). This inconspicuous project is located in Changjiang county, on Hainan province’s northwest coast, right next to China’s southernmost nuclear plant: the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant. Transport vehicles carrying materials come and go, raising clouds of dust along the road leading to the plant. Linglong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3244234/small-modular-nuclear-reactors-how-china-and-us-are-poles-apart-energy-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3244234/small-modular-nuclear-reactors-how-china-and-us-are-poles-apart-energy-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 14:00:12 +0000 China’s Shidaowan nuclear power plant, the world’s first fourth-generation reactor, has begun commercial operations, one of the companies behind its development said. The high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) went online following a week-long (168 hours) continuous operation test, state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said in announcing the feat on Wednesday. Fourth-generation nuclear reactors are designed to be successors for the existing, often water-cooled, nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3244102/shidaowan-worlds-first-4th-generation-nuclear-reactor-begins-commercial-operation-chinas-east-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3244102/shidaowan-worlds-first-4th-generation-nuclear-reactor-begins-commercial-operation-chinas-east-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 11:50:05 +0000 Chinese experts have joined a marine mission led by the International Atomic Energy Agency aimed at backing up Japan’s environmental monitoring results around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The monitoring mission, which began on Monday, coincides with Russia joining China in suspending the import of Japanese seafood, nearly two weeks after Japan began the second round of water discharge from the tsunami-wrecked power plant. The IAEA’s inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) mission aims to test... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3238251/china-joins-mission-test-seas-marine-life-around-japans-fukushima-nuclear-plant-radioactive-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3238251/china-joins-mission-test-seas-marine-life-around-japans-fukushima-nuclear-plant-radioactive-content?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2023 01:04:55 +0000 China on Thursday received official confirmation that its geologists had discovered a new type of ore in the world’s largest rare earth deposit, and that it contains niobium, a shiny, light grey metal that is prized in the steel industry for its strength, and also has superconducting properties. The niobium ore – dubbed niobobaotite – has received an official approval number from the International Mineralogical Association’s classification committee, according to the state-owned China National... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3237118/it-could-make-china-self-sufficient-new-strategic-rare-metal-ore-unearthed-inner-mongolia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3237118/it-could-make-china-self-sufficient-new-strategic-rare-metal-ore-unearthed-inner-mongolia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Oct 2023 22:00:12 +0000 China’s state-owned nuclear power corporation says it has passed a milestone in its quest to create an “artificial sun” powered by nuclear fusion. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said on Saturday that the newest version of its tokamak machine, known as HL-2A, had generated a plasma current of more than 1 million amperes, or 1 mega-amp, in high-confinement mode for the first time. “This is an important milestone for the country’s development of nuclear fusion … as confined nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232459/nuclear-fusion-chinese-power-firm-hails-step-forward-quest-build-artificial-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232459/nuclear-fusion-chinese-power-firm-hails-step-forward-quest-build-artificial-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 10:00:13 +0000 China’s top graft-buster said it detained more than 140 officials from state-owned enterprises for corruption investigations in the first half of the year, while over 200 turned themselves in. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said the number of SOEs placed under investigation had “increased significantly” compared with the same period last year, but it did not give a figure for 2022. It made the announcement in a report posted to the CCDI website on Thursday. Of the 142 SOE... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3230634/chinas-top-graft-buster-says-it-detained-hundreds-soe-officials-first-half-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3230634/chinas-top-graft-buster-says-it-detained-hundreds-soe-officials-first-half-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:00:13 +0000 The Argentine government has reached an agreement with the People’s Bank of China to secure US$1.7 billion in yuan through currency swaps to meet its US$2.7 billion payment obligations to the International Monetary Fund, its economy minister said on Monday. The remaining balance of the payment will be covered by US$1 billion loaned by the Development Bank of Latin America, also known as CAF, based in Caracas, Venezuela. Under the arrangement, Argentina had deposited pesos with the PBOC, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3229556/argentina-strikes-deal-peoples-bank-china-secure-us17-billion-yuan-imf-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3229556/argentina-strikes-deal-peoples-bank-china-secure-us17-billion-yuan-imf-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jul 2023 22:45:13 +0000 Last week’s military coup in Niger is adding to the growing pains for China’s investments in the Sahel region. On Wednesday, a group of soldiers from the presidential guard detained Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, citing a worsening security and economic situation. In the past three years there have also been coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Chad and Sudan, all countries where China has extensive economic interests especially in the mining and petroleum industries and is looking to extend... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229399/what-niger-coup-means-chinas-presence-sahel-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229399/what-niger-coup-means-chinas-presence-sahel-region?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jul 2023 01:00:22 +0000 China’s embassy in Niger advised citizens to “be vigilant” and avoid going out after a military coup that removed the country’s president on Wednesday. “Considering the complexity of the current situation in Niger, the Chinese embassy in Niger reminds all compatriots to be vigilant, strengthen protections, avoid going out and take safety precautions,” the embassy said in a statement. No casualties or injuries of Chinese citizens have been reported. Niger’s military claimed it seized power in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229241/china-warns-citizens-niger-be-vigilant-military-coup-removes-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229241/china-warns-citizens-niger-be-vigilant-military-coup-removes-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:01:35 +0000 Top officials from Hebei province have visited some of China’s biggest state firms in Beijing as part of President Xi Jinping’s push to relocate some leading institutional headquarters to one of Xi’s signature projects. The visit came just over a month after Xi’s latest inspection trip to Xiongan New Area in an apparent attempt to dispel reluctance about the project and give another strong push to move “non-essential institutions” from China’s capital to the zone in neighbouring Hebei... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223921/top-provincial-officials-survey-state-owned-enterprise-hqs-help-president-xi-jinping-move-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223921/top-provincial-officials-survey-state-owned-enterprise-hqs-help-president-xi-jinping-move-key?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:16:54 +0000 The future of an ambitious Chinese plan to build a fleet of nuclear power reactors that would float on the waters of the South China Sea remained uncertain after authorities expressed security concerns, according to engineers involved in the project. With construction ready to begin, regulators have withheld final approval to build the nation’s first floating nuclear power plant, which was intended to generate electricity for critical marine infrastructure, some of it far from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3222289/china-suspends-plan-build-floating-nuclear-reactors-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3222289/china-suspends-plan-build-floating-nuclear-reactors-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 May 2023 22:00:09 +0000 China has taken a major step towards a key contribution to an international mega-project aimed at creating energy through fusion – a potentially unlimited source of future energy. Scientists said they have successfully built and tested the first panel of an ultra-heat-resistant component for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world’s largest fusion reactor. ITER unites world’s scientists in quest for green, safe fusion power The components, which must endure super... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3201015/china-ready-make-key-component-worlds-largest-fusion-reactor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3201015/china-ready-make-key-component-worlds-largest-fusion-reactor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Nov 2022 11:01:05 +0000 Scientists working on China’s “artificial sun” say they have taken an “important step” towards self-sustaining nuclear fusion, a technology that may one day provide plentiful supplies of clean energy. It generated a plasma current of more than 1 million amperes, or 1 mega-amp, the official Science and Technology Daily reported – a current strong enough to meet some of the key conditions needed to produce a working reactor. ITER unites world’s scientists in quest for green, safe fusion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3196825/chinese-scientists-hail-important-step-towards-nuclear-fusion-artificial-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3196825/chinese-scientists-hail-important-step-towards-nuclear-fusion-artificial-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:00:08 +0000 Chinese scientists have discovered a new mineral on the moon, making China the third nation after the United States and Russia to have discovered a lunar mineral, officials reported on Friday. The mineral, called Changesite-(Y), was found in rock and dust samples retrieved from the moon by China’s Chang’e-5 mission, the nation’s first mission to return a lunar sample, which launched in 2020. A research team from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, a subsidiary of the China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191998/chinese-scientists-declare-discovery-new-moon-mineral-lunar-rock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191998/chinese-scientists-declare-discovery-new-moon-mineral-lunar-rock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:30:20 +0000 China should make full use of its strengths in global nuclear energy cooperation and market the technology to the developed world, a senior energy policy researcher at the country’s top economic planner said. Zhou Dadi, from the National Development and Reform Commission’s Energy Research Institute, said China cooperates with developed nations on nuclear energy by importing their technology and building demonstration projects. But it should also promote Chinese nuclear technology and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3187104/china-has-nuclear-power-lead-and-should-sell-developed-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3187104/china-has-nuclear-power-lead-and-should-sell-developed-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jul 2022 06:00:35 +0000 Chinese nuclear authorities say their researchers have discovered rich uranium deposits deep below the Earth, in what they are calling a breakthrough for the country’s national security. Huge, industrial-grade deposits were found at depths previously thought impossible, increasing China’s estimated total reserve 10-fold to more than two million tonnes – putting China on a par with Australia, one of the world’s most uranium-rich countries – according to scientists involved in the project. Using... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3179441/china-finds-uranium-impossible-depth-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3179441/china-finds-uranium-impossible-depth-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 May 2022 22:00:35 +0000 Researchers at a nuclear plant in southeastern China have started mass production of carbon-14, becoming the first in the world to generate the radioactive isotope from a commercial reactor, according to state media. Mass output started at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Zhejiang province on Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. “It is the first time in the country or even in the world that carbon-14 has been produced from a commercial nuclear reactor,” Qinshan chairman Huang Qian said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3176123/chinese-nuclear-plant-claims-commercial-first-carbon-14?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3176123/chinese-nuclear-plant-claims-commercial-first-carbon-14?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2022 03:00:29 +0000 A tighter fiscal outlook has led Argentina to press China for full financing of its US$8.3 billion nuclear plant, after signing an agreement in February for its construction. The South American country is grappling with high debt levels and needs to hit a fiscal balance by 2025 from a 3 per cent deficit last year as part of a recent deal with the International Monetary Fund. China is building a nuclear plant in Argentina as it looks to Latin America The China National Nuclear Corporation said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3173227/china-urged-fully-fund-argentinas-83b-nuclear-plant-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3173227/china-urged-fully-fund-argentinas-83b-nuclear-plant-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 06:40:40 +0000