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Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

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 extensive research across nearly 300 sub-disciplines and its significant role as a leading think tank in China and Asia.

The global mass of spent lithium-ion batteries is projected to reach 381 million metric tonnes by 2050, according to the researchers. Photo: AFP

Science

CO2 + H2O = cleaner recycling of dead lithium batteries?

Chinese team says their process can recover most of the lithium without the need for harsh and polluting chemicals.

17 Jan 2026 - 6:48PM

Science

China’s 7,000-year-old sunmao woodwork led to the most efficient DNA editing tool

16 Jan 2026 - 4:48PMvideocam

Science

Could there be a link between glucose levels in the brain and Alzheimer’s?

5 Jan 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

China-EU relations

‘Straddle the middle ground’: Europe’s hard choice over US attacks on Venezuela

Although they do not agree with Trump’s way of doing things, they seem to agree with his ultimate objectives, analyst in China says.

4 Jan 2026 - 9:43PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump, flanked by his top officials, addresses a press conference following the capture of the Venezuelan first couple, in Florida on January 3. Photo: Reuters

Science

China’s emission-free tech debunks Trump theory with 3-fold productivity boost

Revolutionary change to fossil fuel conversion process reduces carbon pollution to almost zero while tripling yield of high-value chemicals.

4 Jan 2026 - 2:52PMvideocam

Science

China launches super-powered AI system to take on Trump’s Genesis Mission

The network, designed to run without human oversight, was launched a month after Trump outlined plans for an ‘AI Manhattan Project’.

1 Jan 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Science

Great Green Wall 2.0: China is geoengineering deserts with blue-green algae

Scientists aim to reclaim thousands of hectares of desert using cyanobacteria that can stabilise sand and create foundation for plant growth.

31 Dec 2025 - 7:46PMvideocam

Researchers at Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region have created a technique using cyanobacteria to form a biomass-rich crust over desert sand. Photo: China Science Daily

Science

Chinese team tackles a century-old physics puzzle: can we travel back in time?

Theoretical breakthrough shows that time’s arrow can emerge naturally from how quantum parts become interconnected.

25 Dec 2025 - 9:01AMvideocam

Diplomacy

China needs ‘original’ knowledge system on border history to counter West, scholar says

Fan Enshi from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences also warns about the threat of ‘de-Sinicisation’ in US-led historical perspectives.

24 Dec 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

Science

Exclusive | ‘No need to explain’: leading mRNA vaccine expert Hu Haitao leaves US for China

China is catching up fast in mRNA-related fundamental research and technological development, Hu says.

21 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

Science

China’s mind-control robot tech breakthrough brings ‘telepathy’ to life

Huge advancement allows paralysed man to work, order takeaway delivery via robotic dogs and control smart wheelchairs with his thoughts.

18 Dec 2025 - 8:00PMvideocam

Chinese scientists have had a huge breakthrough in brain-computer interfacing technology, allowing a paralysed man to control smart wheelchairs and robotic dogs with his mind. Photo: Handout

US-China relations

Chinese city sues Missouri for US$50 billion in tit-for-tat Covid-19 litigation

Wuhan’s government is one of three parties accusing the US state of using the virus to stigmatise China.

17 Dec 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

Science

China’s research paper boom could be a ‘false prosperity’, academician warns

Senior biologist Zhang Hong, a member of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences, fears genuine innovation may be at risk.

17 Dec 2025 - 10:00AMvideocam

US-China relations

‘Resilient balance’: why China-US ties are likely to stay stable under Trump

US world view on outside ties undergoing ‘fundamental, even transformative’ paradigm shift, American affairs expert tells forum in China.

16 Dec 2025 - 7:54PMvideocam

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in October in Busan, South Korea, where the two leaders agreed to lower the temperature in their trade war. Photo: AFP

Science

China’s ultra-hot heat pump breakthrough paves way for melting ore with sunlight

Capturing and upgrading even a fraction of dissipated energy could transform the country’s industrial efficiency and slash carbon emissions.

16 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

The researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences hope that ultra-high-temperature heat pumps will deliver zero-carbon heat of up to 1,300 degrees Celsius by 2040. Photo: Handout

China's population

China to cover childbirth costs for all in latest bid to avert population crisis

Aim is to achieve ‘no out-of-pocket expenses’ for baby deliveries, along with better coverage for prenatal check-ups and labour pain relief.

15 Dec 2025 - 11:23AMvideocam

China manufacturing

China’s biotech firms may see ‘major breakthroughs’ within a decade. Here’s why

Strong manufacturing base a driving force behind overseas expansion, but industry leaders and analysts say hurdles remain.

11 Dec 2025 - 3:36PMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek’s Liang Wenfeng among top 10 ‘people who shaped science in 2025’

British journal Nature’s top 10 list gives credit to the man behind the widely acclaimed, Chinese-developed R1 reasoning AI model.

9 Dec 2025 - 6:00PM

DeepSeek founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng. Photo: Shutterstock

Science

Man behind 99% chips: semiconductor legend Chih-Tang Sah’s ashes leave US for China

Celebrated Chinese electronics engineer who ‘kept his homeland in his heart’ while living overseas buried in Fujian with his late wife.

5 Dec 2025 - 9:05PMvideocam

US-China relations

Trump wants a sovereign wealth fund to compete with China. Big questions remain

Ten months after it was proposed as a key tool to compete with China, there are still few clues about how it can be structured and managed.

3 Dec 2025 - 5:57AMvideocam

Ukraine war

China waits in the wings for opportunity as Trump makes Ukraine peace push

As a deal to end the war takes shape, wary Beijing sees a post-war reconstruction role but also significant geopolitical risks.

27 Nov 2025 - 2:49AMvideocam

A destroyed gas station at the site of Russian shelling in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine this month. As peace talks to end the war progress, Beijing is watching from the sidelines for both opportunities and risks. Photo: EPA

Science

Amid global fusion energy race, Europe’s top nuclear minds are betting on China

Frustrated by Western delays, top scientists have joined China’s BEST fusion project as it nears ‘uncharted territory’.

26 Nov 2025 - 12:44PMvideocam

Targeted for completion in 2027, the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) in Hefei is rapidly attracting international talent frustrated by slow progress elsewhere. Photo: Xinhua

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong urged to develop cutting-edge tech to meet country’s needs

Hou Jianguo, president of Chinese Academy of Sciences, also calls on city to attract talent and partner with world-class institutions to be I&T hub.

25 Nov 2025 - 9:08PM

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong to sharpen competitive edge by applying plenum’s guidance: John Lee

Chinese Academy of Sciences chief Hou Jianguo also calls for city to leverage its strengths and become hub for high-quality talent and research.

24 Nov 2025 - 11:42PM

Hong Kong politics

China’s top science academy chief to promote plenum spirit at Hong Kong seminar

Fourth plenum proposed the core features of the coming 15th five-year plan, which covers the years from 2026 to 2030.

20 Nov 2025 - 8:43PM

Hong Kong’s citizens are urged to earnestly study and implement the spirit of the fourth plenary session. Photo: Jelly Tse

US-China trade war

China’s exports at risk? US, EU may push tough rules of origin: economist

But Beijing’s manufacturing ecosystem gives it powerful tools to retaliate, according to economist Zhang Yuyan.

20 Nov 2025 - 4:41PM

Chinese economist Zhang Yuyan said new rules of origin from the US and EU could redefine global trade patterns. Photo: Xinhua

Science

Lightning start: China’s Juno ‘ghost particle’ detector delivers record results

2 months of ‘unprecedented measurement precision’ by world’s largest neutrino detector raises hopes for unlocking secrets of matter.

20 Nov 2025 - 2:09PMvideocam

China consumption

Chinese economist calls on Beijing to add consumption target to long-term goals

Cai Fang of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said Beijing’s benchmarks for 2035 should include a quantitative figure for consumption.

19 Nov 2025 - 9:00AM

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Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

CO2 + H2O = cleaner recycling of dead lithium batteries?

Chinese team says their process can recover most of the lithium without the need for harsh and polluting chemicals.

China’s 7,000-year-old sunmao woodwork led to the most efficient DNA editing tool

Could there be a link between glucose levels in the brain and Alzheimer’s?

‘Straddle the middle ground’: Europe’s hard choice over US attacks on Venezuela

Although they do not agree with Trump’s way of doing things, they seem to agree with his ultimate objectives, analyst in China says.

China’s emission-free tech debunks Trump theory with 3-fold productivity boost

Revolutionary change to fossil fuel conversion process reduces carbon pollution to almost zero while tripling yield of high-value chemicals.

China launches super-powered AI system to take on Trump’s Genesis Mission

The network, designed to run without human oversight, was launched a month after Trump outlined plans for an ‘AI Manhattan Project’.

Great Green Wall 2.0: China is geoengineering deserts with blue-green algae

Scientists aim to reclaim thousands of hectares of desert using cyanobacteria that can stabilise sand and create foundation for plant growth.

Chinese team tackles a century-old physics puzzle: can we travel back in time?

Theoretical breakthrough shows that time’s arrow can emerge naturally from how quantum parts become interconnected.

China needs ‘original’ knowledge system on border history to counter West, scholar says

Fan Enshi from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences also warns about the threat of ‘de-Sinicisation’ in US-led historical perspectives.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | ‘No need to explain’: leading mRNA vaccine expert Hu Haitao leaves US for China

China is catching up fast in mRNA-related fundamental research and technological development, Hu says.

China’s mind-control robot tech breakthrough brings ‘telepathy’ to life

Huge advancement allows paralysed man to work, order takeaway delivery via robotic dogs and control smart wheelchairs with his thoughts.

Chinese city sues Missouri for US$50 billion in tit-for-tat Covid-19 litigation

Wuhan’s government is one of three parties accusing the US state of using the virus to stigmatise China.

China’s research paper boom could be a ‘false prosperity’, academician warns

Senior biologist Zhang Hong, a member of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences, fears genuine innovation may be at risk.

‘Resilient balance’: why China-US ties are likely to stay stable under Trump

US world view on outside ties undergoing ‘fundamental, even transformative’ paradigm shift, American affairs expert tells forum in China.

China’s ultra-hot heat pump breakthrough paves way for melting ore with sunlight

Capturing and upgrading even a fraction of dissipated energy could transform the country’s industrial efficiency and slash carbon emissions.

China to cover childbirth costs for all in latest bid to avert population crisis

Aim is to achieve ‘no out-of-pocket expenses’ for baby deliveries, along with better coverage for prenatal check-ups and labour pain relief.

China’s biotech firms may see ‘major breakthroughs’ within a decade. Here’s why

Strong manufacturing base a driving force behind overseas expansion, but industry leaders and analysts say hurdles remain.

DeepSeek’s Liang Wenfeng among top 10 ‘people who shaped science in 2025’

British journal Nature’s top 10 list gives credit to the man behind the widely acclaimed, Chinese-developed R1 reasoning AI model.

Man behind 99% chips: semiconductor legend Chih-Tang Sah’s ashes leave US for China

Celebrated Chinese electronics engineer who ‘kept his homeland in his heart’ while living overseas buried in Fujian with his late wife.

Trump wants a sovereign wealth fund to compete with China. Big questions remain

Ten months after it was proposed as a key tool to compete with China, there are still few clues about how it can be structured and managed.

China waits in the wings for opportunity as Trump makes Ukraine peace push

As a deal to end the war takes shape, wary Beijing sees a post-war reconstruction role but also significant geopolitical risks.

Amid global fusion energy race, Europe’s top nuclear minds are betting on China

Frustrated by Western delays, top scientists have joined China’s BEST fusion project as it nears ‘uncharted territory’.

Hong Kong urged to develop cutting-edge tech to meet country’s needs

Hou Jianguo, president of Chinese Academy of Sciences, also calls on city to attract talent and partner with world-class institutions to be I&T hub.

Hong Kong to sharpen competitive edge by applying plenum’s guidance: John Lee

Chinese Academy of Sciences chief Hou Jianguo also calls for city to leverage its strengths and become hub for high-quality talent and research.

China’s top science academy chief to promote plenum spirit at Hong Kong seminar

Fourth plenum proposed the core features of the coming 15th five-year plan, which covers the years from 2026 to 2030.

China’s exports at risk? US, EU may push tough rules of origin: economist

But Beijing’s manufacturing ecosystem gives it powerful tools to retaliate, according to economist Zhang Yuyan.

Lightning start: China’s Juno ‘ghost particle’ detector delivers record results

2 months of ‘unprecedented measurement precision’ by world’s largest neutrino detector raises hopes for unlocking secrets of matter.

Chinese economist calls on Beijing to add consumption target to long-term goals

Cai Fang of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said Beijing’s benchmarks for 2035 should include a quantitative figure for consumption.

Exclusive | ‘No need to explain’: leading mRNA vaccine expert Hu Haitao leaves US for China