https://www.scmp.com/rss/522210/feed The latest news and top stories on the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. A prominent Beijing-based state research institute and think tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is dedicated to being China’s highest academic institution and comprehensive research centre for philosophy and social sciences. Established in May 1977, its main areas of focus include language, philosophy, law, economics, religion, ethnicity, archaeology, history and literature. CASS is recognised for its... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jane Cai,Alcott Wei Jane Cai,Alcott Wei Beijing should shift its strategy and improve ways to attract and retain top Chinese AI professionals as America’s accelerating integration of artificial intelligence into military and national security systems puts such talent in a bind. As geopolitical tensions rise, many highly skilled Chinese researchers working at US tech and research institutions are confronting a painful dilemma, according to Dai Mingjie, a researcher at the Institute of Public Policy at the Guangzhou-based South China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349047/how-can-beijing-attract-top-tier-chinese-ai-professionals-based-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349047/how-can-beijing-attract-top-tier-chinese-ai-professionals-based-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:00:18 +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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese companies engaging in artificial intelligence activities are required to set up internal “AI ethics review committees” under new rules released by Beijing on Thursday, effective immediately. The notice comes as policymakers look to ensure that fast-paced AI progress can continue in a “healthy” manner amid growing consumer and enterprise adoption. Jointly released by 10 government bodies and institutions including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348995/beijing-mandates-internal-ai-ethics-reviews-ensure-controllable-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348995/beijing-mandates-internal-ai-ethics-reviews-ensure-controllable-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:54:53 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Challenging six decades of convention, Chinese scientists have proposed a new composite material manufacturing method that could improve the strength and reliability of structures used in drones, aircraft and spacecraft. By introducing an advance in the so-called balanced lay-up approach – a method of stacking fibre layers symmetrically and in opposing angles to minimise internal stresses – the research team reported strength gains of up to 26 per cent. It also led to a 13 per cent improvement... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348762/could-chinas-metal-composite-make-drones-planes-and-rockets-26-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348762/could-chinas-metal-composite-make-drones-planes-and-rockets-26-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong China is developing a revolutionary air-breathing engine for next-generation fighter jets and hypersonic missiles. Designed to operate continuously from a stationary start-up to over Mach 6, the “contra-rotary ramjet engine” could replace the combined turbine-ramjet systems currently used in high-speed flight. After more than three decades of work, the engine prototype has been completed and experimentally verified, marking a potential step towards engineering applications. The next steps... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348078/mach-0-6-engine-may-power-chinas-future-fighter-jets-and-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348078/mach-0-6-engine-may-power-chinas-future-fighter-jets-and-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese researchers have introduced a new methodology for evaluating medical and life science journals worldwide that does not rely on the “impact factor” traditionally used in the academic world. Experts view this as part of China’s broader efforts to strengthen its “academic discourse power”. Two new Dongbi Index journal lists, covering 4,027 medical and 3,064 life-science journals selected from more than 40,000 worldwide, were unveiled in Shanghai on March 21. They were developed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348247/china-proposes-new-way-measure-academic-influence-departure-impact-factor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348247/china-proposes-new-way-measure-academic-influence-departure-impact-factor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s ambition to cut its reliance on foreign semiconductor technology achieved a notable milestone this week, with the launch of two powerful chips based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. Xiangshan, a high-performance processor unveiled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Thursday, is the latest effort to push the boundaries with RISC-V architecture. With the central processing unit (CPU) core achieving a score of 16.5 points/GHz under SPEC... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348168/chinas-tech-self-sufficiency-drive-reaches-new-milestone-powerful-risc-v-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348168/chinas-tech-self-sufficiency-drive-reaches-new-milestone-powerful-risc-v-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese computer scientists and researchers have been urged to boycott a major artificial intelligence conference after its organisers barred submissions from US-sanctioned institutions, including leading Chinese tech groups such as Huawei Technologies. The move by the China Computer Federation (CCF) is the latest flashpoint in deepening US-China tensions over AI, a fast-evolving field with far-reaching economic, social and military implications. The influential professional body said on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348006/ai-rift-widens-china-urges-boycott-top-us-conference-over-sanctions-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348006/ai-rift-widens-china-urges-boycott-top-us-conference-over-sanctions-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong As tensions around Iran intensify, a potential disruption to global fertiliser supply chains is raising concerns about food production worldwide. But for China, an unusual advantage is coming into focus: the ability to predict grain output more than six months in advance with striking accuracy. That capability – refined over decades – could allow Beijing to move early, reshaping risk into strategic leverage. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy and commodity flows, has emerged... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347290/could-ultra-precise-harvest-forecast-give-china-advantage-iran-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347290/could-ultra-precise-harvest-forecast-give-china-advantage-iran-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 02:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Precision strike: China targets US, Japan stranglehold on photoresist supply China’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency is shifting from broad aspiration to a precision strike on chokepoint materials, with photoresist – the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347234/china-us-end-trade-talks-paris-chip-self-sufficiency-drive-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347234/china-us-end-trade-talks-paris-chip-self-sufficiency-drive-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:34:07 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik A former top-ranking scientist in the Chinese military and one-time nuclear test site commander, Liu Guozhi, has been removed from the website of the country’s top national research institute. In 2016, Liu was named head of the science and technology commission of the Central Military Commission – China’s top military decision-making and command body – a position he is believed to have held until the early 2020s. Liu, 65, was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2009. Some Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347200/liu-guozhi-former-top-pla-scientist-and-nuclear-test-commander-delisted-cas-website?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347200/liu-guozhi-former-top-pla-scientist-and-nuclear-test-commander-delisted-cas-website?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:58:48 +0000 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 Ling Xin Ling Xin Fang Daining, a key scientist in China’s hypersonic weapons programme, has died at the age of 68, according to an image of an obituary notice that began circulating on Chinese social media last week. Early online discussions included claims that Fang, who was also a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) member, the country’s highest academic title in science and technology, suffered an unexpected medical episode during a work trip to South Africa. The South China Morning Post could not confirm the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346904/controversy-haunts-death-chinas-lead-hypersonic-weapons-expert-fang-daining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346904/controversy-haunts-death-chinas-lead-hypersonic-weapons-expert-fang-daining?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:00:13 +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 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Chinese and Chilean scientists have reached the bottom of the Atacama Trench, where light does not penetrate, in what they called the “most ambitious” deep-sea expedition ever conducted in the eastern Pacific. The joint mission to one of the deepest ocean trenches – which runs parallel to the coasts of Peru and Chile – took place from January 19 to March 5. It comes as Chile’s expanding cooperation with China on science and technology has inflamed geopolitical tensions with the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346781/china-and-chile-wrap-atacama-trench-mission-us-pressure-mounts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346781/china-and-chile-wrap-atacama-trench-mission-us-pressure-mounts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng The sudden death of prominent Chinese genetic psychologist Li Xinying while travelling in Egypt has sparked growing concern and speculation in China, as official explanations about the cause remain vague and medically inconclusive. Li, 48, a researcher and doctoral supervisor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Institute of Psychology, died on February 23 at 10pm Beijing time, according to an online obituary. The stated cause of death was “non-specific respiratory failure”, an obituary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346434/death-chinese-scientist-li-xinying-48-egypt-raises-sharp-questions-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346434/death-chinese-scientist-li-xinying-48-egypt-raises-sharp-questions-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang At first glance, it is just a photograph of an empty room. But on mainland social media, it has become something else entirely: a virtual confessional. Beneath such posts, users anonymously unburden themselves to strangers, sharing the guilt, anxiety and struggles they cannot voice to family or friends. Traditionally, the confessional in Christianity is a space where believers admit their sins to a priest and seek absolution. Such so-called cyber confession rooms have recently surged in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346064/cyber-confession-room-where-china-youth-share-struggles-financial-problems-gains-traction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346064/cyber-confession-room-where-china-youth-share-struggles-financial-problems-gains-traction?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:01:13 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Despite its heavy reliance on oil and gas imports, China’s “national strength” insulates its energy security from short-term geopolitical shocks, a prominent petroleum geologist said. Jin Zhijun, dean of the Institute of Energy at Peking University, said that China – as a large country – could ensure its energy security amid a volatile international energy trading landscape, with multiple contingency plans in place. They included tapping more domestic resources by increasing oil and gas... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346173/chinas-size-strength-insulates-its-energy-security-amid-geopolitical-shocks-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346173/chinas-size-strength-insulates-its-energy-security-amid-geopolitical-shocks-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:30:15 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China should build an underground network across its western region to protect key energy and defence facilities, securing long-term reserves while boosting national security and crisis resilience, energy experts have said. Zhang Shishu, chief technical expert at Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), a state-owned energy and infrastructure giant, called for critical facilities to be embedded deep beneath the Earth’s surface at a safer, less detectable level. In an article for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3345859/china-urged-build-underground-great-wall-defence-crisis-hit-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3345859/china-urged-build-underground-great-wall-defence-crisis-hit-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese scientists have used AI to determine the chemical make-up of the moon’s far side, offering new insights into one of lunar science’s enduring mysteries. Nearly half the moon’s surface – the far side which permanently faces away from the Earth – had long remained chemically unmapped. But samples from China’s Chang’e-6 mission, combined with advanced technologies, have enabled a team led by the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics (SITP) to crack the lunar chemical code. Researchers from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345810/chinese-scientists-use-ai-model-crack-mystery-moons-far-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345810/chinese-scientists-use-ai-model-crack-mystery-moons-far-side?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte China and Uruguay have forged a new scientific alliance by signing more than 20 cooperation agreements, targeting critical fields from cancer treatment and water management to fighting crop-destroying pests. The development signals a step forward in ties, moving beyond a decade mainly defined by trade in products like wood pulp, soybeans and beef. “China is a good partner for us, especially in basic sciences,” Alvaro Brunini, president of Uruguay’s National Agency of Research and Innovation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345791/beyond-beef-china-and-uruguay-team-science-target-cancer-pests-and-robotics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345791/beyond-beef-china-and-uruguay-team-science-target-cancer-pests-and-robotics?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:02:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Sylvia Ma Xinyi Wu,Sylvia Ma Achieving this year’s inflation target would be one of China’s top economic tasks, a prominent economist and government adviser said, as it was pivotal to accomplishing other government priorities such as boosting consumption, raising incomes and achieving the required headline growth figures. “The inflation target corresponds to a state of relative equilibrium between supply and demand,” Zhang Bin, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345690/hitting-inflation-target-key-chinas-other-economic-goals-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345690/hitting-inflation-target-key-chinas-other-economic-goals-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:16 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China will allocate more of its fiscal spending this year towards human capital and social safety nets, as Beijing seeks to boost domestic demand and unlock new growth through “investing in people”. “Efforts must be sustained to optimise the expenditure structure, with greater emphasis on supporting the boosting of consumption, investing in people, and safeguarding people’s livelihoods,” Premier Li Qiang said in his annual work report, delivered during the opening session of the National... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345615/china-pivots-investing-people-strategy-growth-engine-switches-gears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345615/china-pivots-investing-people-strategy-growth-engine-switches-gears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s sovereign debt is emerging as a strategic alternative to US Treasuries as global investors look for geopolitical hedges, though greater market liquidity and deeper yuan internationalisation are still needed to cement its status as a global safe haven, an economist at a Chinese government think tank has said. “[These bonds] circumvent the restrictions of the non-convertibility of the renminbi,” said Xu Qiyuan, deputy director of the American Studies Institute at the Chinese Academy of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345378/chinas-sovereign-debt-becoming-strategic-alternative-us-treasuries-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345378/chinas-sovereign-debt-becoming-strategic-alternative-us-treasuries-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Beijing should increase investment in early childhood education and lifelong learning as AI reshapes the world’s largest labour market, a prominent Chinese economist has said. The real policy test for China is whether it can shift decisively from investing in capital to investing in people, while policy and regulation must steer artificial intelligence (AI) towards empowering rather than replacing workers, according to Cai Fang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences focusing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345288/china-should-education-spending-help-population-adapt-ai-era-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345288/china-should-education-spending-help-population-adapt-ai-era-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:00:07 +0000 Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Xinyi Wu Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Xinyi Wu On a day typically considered one of the happiest on the calendar for Chinese workers – the eve of Chinese New Year, when families gather for dinner in the midst of an extended public holiday – the annual Spring Festival Gala, the world’s most-watched television programme, left some in the viewing audience with a sense of profound disillusionment. As a troupe of humanoid robots break-danced, flipped, swung swords and performed comedy sketches at the gala, domestic AI brands occupied the show’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344920/iron-rice-bowl-vs-algorithm-why-chinas-economy-may-better-withstand-ai-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344920/iron-rice-bowl-vs-algorithm-why-chinas-economy-may-better-withstand-ai-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Universities in China are shifting focus from traditional language degrees to country-specific and regional studies – a move analysts say reflects a broader strategy to craft a uniquely Chinese framework for understanding the world, independent of Western paradigms. The field of regional or area studies examines the politics, economics, culture, military affairs, geography, linguistics and other dimensions of countries and regions worldwide. Ministry of Education data shows that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344091/why-chinese-universities-are-ditching-language-degrees-strategic-regional-expertise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344091/why-chinese-universities-are-ditching-language-degrees-strategic-regional-expertise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:00:17 +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 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang During the past decade, Chinese think tanks have had the best of two worlds – having the backing of the government while having some room to move outside it. Encouraged by the country’s leadership to promote China’s soft power, the sector has grown in influence as retired officials have come on board, bringing expertise, connections and some freedom. Not unlike their Western counterparts, these institutes have come to play major roles in Track 2 diplomacy and policy recommendations. But two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343977/end-golden-age-chinese-think-tanks-star-ex-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343977/end-golden-age-chinese-think-tanks-star-ex-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +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 Shi Huang Shi Huang In the highest-ranking sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui, 11 crimson beads remained undisturbed for 3,000 years among bronze vessels, ivory tusks and fragments of gold. They are carnelian – a red gemstone prized across the ancient world, from the Indus Valley to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In China, however, carnelian was not commonly found in elite burials until the late Western Zhou dynasty (c1046-771BC), with red tones traditionally represented by other minerals, such as ochre and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343451/how-did-prized-red-gemstone-reach-ancient-mysterious-shu-kingdom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3343451/how-did-prized-red-gemstone-reach-ancient-mysterious-shu-kingdom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:20 +0000 Ji Siqi,Eunice Xu Ji Siqi,Eunice Xu With China explicitly banning onshore tokenisation of real-world assets (RWAs) while tightening scrutiny of related offshore activities, analysts say the clampdown is aimed at curbing financial fraud and disorderly capital outflows, while still preserving space for regulated innovation in markets such as Hong Kong. Tokenisation refers to the process of converting the rights to an RWA – including real estate, art, bonds and commodities like gold – into a digital token. Such tokens represent... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342952/chinas-necessary-asset-tokenisation-ban-targets-scams-and-capital-flight-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342952/chinas-necessary-asset-tokenisation-ban-targets-scams-and-capital-flight-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:30:19 +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 Shi Huang Shi Huang The US defence secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term, James Mattis, repeatedly warned that China would revert to a Ming dynasty-style model, projecting its strong military, technological and economic influence globally. At the time, his views were widely questioned by mainstream academics as too aggressive. A decade ago, China still lagged far behind the United States. But Mattis underestimated China’s ambitions. On January 29, China announced the official launch of a national... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342211/ming-dynasty-guide-galaxy-china-names-2100-space-plan-after-1637-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342211/ming-dynasty-guide-galaxy-china-names-2100-space-plan-after-1637-book?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:26:08 +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 Shi Huang Shi Huang While some Western scholars have maintained that the development of large-scale water projects fostered what they called “Oriental despotism”, new archaeological evidence from China has presented a different story. According to the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Science and Cultural Heritage Protection at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the study has pushed the history of large-scale water conservancy in China back by nearly 3,000 years. Researcher Liu Jianguo said in Beijing on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341627/how-chinas-5100-year-old-dams-challenge-western-narratives-despotism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341627/how-chinas-5100-year-old-dams-challenge-western-narratives-despotism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:00:14 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li As China’s two largest cities by economic output, Beijing and Shanghai are widely seen as barometers for the country’s broader economic performance. In 2025, Beijing’s gross domestic product reached 5.2 trillion yuan (US$748 billion), making it the second Chinese city to cross the 5-trillion-yuan mark after Shanghai, which breached the threshold in 2024 and did so again in 2025 with a GDP of 5.67 trillion yuan. Based on last year’s figures, each city’s economic size is comparable to that of a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341382/tale-two-megacities-how-did-beijing-and-shanghais-gdps-surpass-5-trillion-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341382/tale-two-megacities-how-did-beijing-and-shanghais-gdps-surpass-5-trillion-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:14 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returns to Earth broken and unbroken 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. 2. Nipah virus outbreak in India sparks worry in China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341335/nipah-virus-alarms-china-semiconductor-fibre-breakthrough-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341335/nipah-virus-alarms-china-semiconductor-fibre-breakthrough-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A team of researchers in China has claimed that a recent near-miss between a Chinese satellite and one of SpaceX’s Starlink devices was behind the US company’s decision to move more than 4,000 of its satellites into lower orbit. The two satellites passed within about 200 metres (656 feet) of each other on December 10, shortly after a launch from northwestern China, according to a social media post last month by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice-president of engineering. Three weeks later, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341360/chinese-satellite-forces-4400-its-starlink-rivals-lower-altitude-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341360/chinese-satellite-forces-4400-its-starlink-rivals-lower-altitude-study?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China should build on its “most important” strategic assets of domestic stability and progress to navigate US President Donald Trump’s shattering of global norms, a Washington watcher at a Chinese think tank says. Ni Feng, a researcher and former director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of American Studies, said the Trump administration’s “disruptive” overhaul of US diplomacy was sending the international system into a “more volatile and uncertain” phase. This could leave... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341292/us-looking-inward-under-trump-made-development-space-china-sino-us-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341292/us-looking-inward-under-trump-made-development-space-china-sino-us-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 01:00:11 +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 Ling Xin Ling Xin China’s Chang’e-7 mission this year will be the world’s first to attempt to sample and directly measure water on the moon, but just touching lunar ice could mean losing it, a team of scientists has warned in a new paper. The spacecraft is expected to touch down near the rim of Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole, where it will deploy a rover and hopper to search for ice. While water could support long-term human activity on the moon, from providing drinking water and oxygen to producing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340513/first-contact-quest-water-moon-chinese-team-flags-risk-touching-ice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340513/first-contact-quest-water-moon-chinese-team-flags-risk-touching-ice?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:59:06 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang A group of researchers from China and Japan has challenged a method unveiled several months ago by Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek that was designed to improve AI’s ability to handle long blocks of text, marking a rare case of the company’s research being publicly questioned. The DeepSeek-OCR (optical character recognition) method, designed to compress text by using visual representations, potentially revolutionising how AI models handle long texts, was flawed due to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340494/deepseek-technique-improve-ais-ability-read-long-texts-questioned-new-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340494/deepseek-technique-improve-ais-ability-read-long-texts-questioned-new-research?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 03:42:12 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang “We will not leave the desert till we beat the foe, although in war our golden armour be outworn 100 times.” In this celebrated poem from China’s Tang dynasty, Wang Changling captured the unyielding spirit of soldiers in golden armour battling on the desert frontiers. But for centuries, the splendour of the Tang gold-plated armour lived only in poetry and imagination, as none had ever been unearthed. But that changed last week, when the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340394/chinese-team-restores-legendary-tang-dynasty-golden-armour-found-tibetan-tomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340394/chinese-team-restores-legendary-tang-dynasty-golden-armour-found-tibetan-tomb?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:52:53 +0000 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte China and Chile are set to launch a three‑month expedition into the uncharted depths of the eastern Pacific Ocean – a “historic opportunity” to seek new forms of life and geological insights into the causes of earthquakes and tsunamis. Setting off aboard the Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao on Monday, the researchers will cover 700km (435 miles) around the Atacama Trench, one of the deepest and least explored regions of the eastern Pacific. The expedition, three years in the making, is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340328/china-chile-explore-atacama-trench-pacific-tools-no-other-country-possesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340328/china-chile-explore-atacama-trench-pacific-tools-no-other-country-possesses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:00:18 +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 Shi Huang Shi Huang How to beat the United States in gene editing? A research team from Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences had struggled with this question for three years, with no results. Then they decided to draw inspiration from an ancient woodwork tradition and cut DNA like wood. It led to a gene-editing tool with unprecedented efficiency. In the Chinese mortise-and-tenon joint technique known as sunmao, no nails or glue are used. Instead, a protruding “tenon” on one piece fits securely into... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339967/chinas-7000-year-old-sunmao-woodwork-leads-worlds-most-efficient-dna-editing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339967/chinas-7000-year-old-sunmao-woodwork-leads-worlds-most-efficient-dna-editing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:48:22 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang An experimental Chinese treatment for Alzheimer’s disease focused on glucose levels has shown promise in a trial on mice, with researchers reporting significant improvement in late-stage symptoms. A team from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the mice showed a substantial reversal in memory loss and reduced brain plaque within weeks of being treated with the drug. The researchers reported the results of their study in peer-reviewed journal Advanced... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338757/could-there-be-link-between-glucose-levels-brain-and-alzheimers-disease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338757/could-there-be-link-between-glucose-levels-brain-and-alzheimers-disease?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang US military strikes and forced regime change in Venezuela have left European countries in a diplomatic bind, as they distance themselves from Washington’s actions while hesitating to criticise them outright. The world reacted with shock after the Trump administration launched “Operation Absolute Resolve” to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and transported them to the United States for detention at a New York facility. China has strongly condemned the US actions... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338673/straddle-middle-ground-europeans-hard-choice-over-us-attacks-against-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338673/straddle-middle-ground-europeans-hard-choice-over-us-attacks-against-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 11:24:28 +0000