https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/328475/feed Breaking China science news, including research, reports and analysis. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Stephen Chen,Victoria Bela Stephen Chen,Victoria Bela China has begun building the world’s first utility-scale power plant combining two emerging technologies: supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) generation and large-scale molten salt energy storage. The Ruitan project, under construction at a coal-fired power station in Yantai in eastern China’s Shandong province, is intended to demonstrate how combining these technologies can reduce energy wastage and improve the stability of the electrical grid. Electricity produced when demand is low is stored... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/science/article/3370584/china-bets-molten-salt-and-co2-help-meet-its-power-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/science/article/3370584/china-bets-molten-salt-and-co2-help-meet-its-power-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:41:03 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng A large desalination plant on Bohai Bay has achieved an energy efficiency breakthrough, slashing electricity consumption by more than half while converting millions of tonnes of toxic waste brine into high-value chemical salt. Situated in the Caofeidian industrial zone of Tangshan, Hebei province, the facility recently entered its trial production stage, the state-run Science and Technology Daily reported last month. This technology provides a viable pathway to solving the global challenge of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370356/chinese-desalination-plant-cuts-60-energy-use-turning-waste-brine-industrial-salt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370356/chinese-desalination-plant-cuts-60-energy-use-turning-waste-brine-industrial-salt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:15:34 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump’s new spokeswoman is a ‘devoted fan’ who lived in Beijing and speaks Chinese 2. Hong Kong hiker dies, Singaporean teen discharged after 2 trail emergencies 3. How a museum masterpiece’s life-size replica sparked rare US-China collaboration 4. Why Malaysian doctors are turning down... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3370528/trumps-china-savvy-spokeswoman-hong-kong-trail-emergencies-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/article/3370528/trumps-china-savvy-spokeswoman-hong-kong-trail-emergencies-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Zhou Xianwang, the former mayor of Wuhan widely criticised for the initial handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. Zhou used various positions he held between 2003 and 2025 – including party secretary of Huangshi, mayor of Wuhan and vice-governor of Hubei province – to “provide assistance to companies and individuals in contracting projects, business operations and administrative approvals”, Shangqiu Intermediate People’s Court in Henan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370481/wuhans-covid-mayor-zhou-xianwang-jailed-14-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370481/wuhans-covid-mayor-zhou-xianwang-jailed-14-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:00:16 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Leading China’s mathematicians joined forces in Beijing on Sunday to launch an alliance aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into mathematical research. The Yau Laboratory Alliance for Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence is being spearheaded by Fields medallist Shing-Tung Yau, who warned that China was lagging behind the United States in using AI to advance frontier science. It will bring together eight leading institutions and aims to create a network of more than 1,000... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370492/leading-chinese-mathematicians-unite-behind-use-ai-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370492/leading-chinese-mathematicians-unite-behind-use-ai-research?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik International scientists warn that rising sea levels driven by melting Antarctic ice will be 15 to 20 per cent higher in cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai compared with the global average. They said gravitational shifts caused by shrinking Antarctic ice would redistribute water across the globe, causing higher ocean levels along China’s densely populated coastlines. “Even if we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7 degrees Fahrenheit], the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370255/chinas-rich-coastal-cities-see-sea-level-rise-20-higher-global-average?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370255/chinas-rich-coastal-cities-see-sea-level-rise-20-higher-global-average?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Materials scientist and chemist Antonio Facchetti, formerly of the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, has joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as a chair professor in its newly established department of materials. Facchetti, who was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering last year for his “contributions to the engineering of commercially viable electronic materials and devices”, researches semiconductors, dielectrics for thin-film and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370290/nanotechnology-expert-antonio-facchetti-joins-hkust-georgia-tech-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370290/nanotechnology-expert-antonio-facchetti-joins-hkust-georgia-tech-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Ni Tao Ni Tao A year ago, a Unitree robot kickboxing could light up social media. When DeepSeek released its latest open-source artificial intelligence (AI) model, developers around the world rushed to test it. This year, however, Hangzhou’s latest technology bets have barely made a ripple. The city’s “New Eight Steeds” – eight deep-tech companies in fields ranging from smart glasses and inference graphic processing units (GPUs) to compute-in-memory chips and space computing – are a very different proposition... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370174/hangzhou-doubling-down-tech-minus-viral-hype?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3370174/hangzhou-doubling-down-tech-minus-viral-hype?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China has unveiled a smart robot prototype designed to assist with wheat breeding in the latest step in its ongoing drive to advance agricultural technology and bolster food security. The robot made its public debut at a recent seminar on wheat breeding, state-run China Science Daily reported on Friday. Traditional wheat breeders rely on a wealth of accumulated experience to identify and select strains with superior traits from tens of thousands of hybrid offspring. But this requires manual... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370437/china-unveils-ai-powered-robot-designed-help-farmers-breed-better-strains-wheat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370437/china-unveils-ai-powered-robot-designed-help-farmers-breed-better-strains-wheat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:11:13 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik One of the world’s biggest network service providers has opened a new subsea route between Taipei and Hong Kong to strengthen the system against repeated underwater cable disruptions around the island. Britain-headquartered RETN said the new route would take its total to six serving Taiwan: four connecting Taipei and Hong Kong, and two linking Taipei and Tokyo. “Like many island economies, Taiwan’s international connectivity relies heavily on subsea cables, which creates exposure to risks such... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370149/new-taipei-hong-kong-subsea-route-opened-cut-risk-and-meet-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370149/new-taipei-hong-kong-subsea-route-opened-cut-risk-and-meet-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela While Russian authorities have denied the death of a woman who worked in a laboratory at an anti-plague institute in Siberia was connected with the pathogen, the incident has sparked global concern – including in China – over a potential spread of the disease and a lack of transparency. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he planned to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after it emerged late last week that the 28-year-old female lab technician had been admitted to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370319/russia-lifts-plague-lab-related-measures-should-china-and-world-be-relieved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370319/russia-lifts-plague-lab-related-measures-should-china-and-world-be-relieved?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese researchers have developed a catalyst that converts synthesis gas into sustainable jet fuel – an advance that could boost production, help meet net-zero carbon goals and yield a gross profit margin above 50 per cent. The team verified the efficacy of the chemical catalyst in a thousand-tonne pilot test and found that combining woody biomass-derived synthesis gas, or syngas, with the cobalt-manganese catalyst enabled the “highly efficient synthesis of jet fuel”. Based on a techno-economic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370144/china-breakthrough-projected-push-sustainable-jet-fuel-gross-profit-margin-past-50?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370144/china-breakthrough-projected-push-sustainable-jet-fuel-gross-profit-margin-past-50?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The Pentagon announced on Thursday a new multimillion-dollar initiative for “maintaining American leadership” in quantum computing capabilities amid accelerating competition between the US and China over the military application of advanced technology. In a press release, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Research and Engineering, which serves as the US Department of Defence’s chief technology adviser, announced that the new initiative, worth around US$350 million, is aimed at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370243/pentagon-unveils-us350-million-quantum-computing-push-china-rivalry-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370243/pentagon-unveils-us350-million-quantum-computing-push-china-rivalry-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:33:59 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese scientists have created a wearable all-in-one device combining a glucose sensor and insulin micropump that they say paves the way for a fully autonomous mini artificial pancreas, although it has so far only been tested on mice. Unlike existing commercial systems for managing diabetes that typically require patients to wear two separate patches for monitoring and hormone delivery, the new prototype combines both functions in a single coin-sized device. Researchers from the University of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370145/chinese-team-says-its-all-one-mini-artificial-pancreas-offers-next-gen-diabetes-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370145/chinese-team-says-its-all-one-mini-artificial-pancreas-offers-next-gen-diabetes-care?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Initial results from the world’s first two working nuclear clocks indicate that China’s timepiece is about six times as stable as the one in Vienna, according to papers published this week by the journal Nature. The clocks were developed independently but both the Chinese team, led by Tsinghua University in Beijing, and the researchers at Vienna’s TU Wien used thorium-229 nuclei embedded in crystals to keep time by the steady rhythm of the atom’s core, rather than the electrons whirling around... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370006/chinas-thorium-229-nuclear-clock-beats-viennas-stability-studies-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370006/chinas-thorium-229-nuclear-clock-beats-viennas-stability-studies-show?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang “Science has no borders,” Arup Neogi, an India-born scientist who works at a US-sanctioned university, told Chinese state media. Neogi’s speciality is photonics, the study of generating, controlling and detecting light. At the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in the southwestern city of Chengdu, he leads a team exploring the interconnection between light and sound. This university has one of China’s top electronics and communication programmes and has been on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370070/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-light-sanctioned-chinese-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3370070/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-light-sanctioned-chinese-school?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:00:06 +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. Chinese researchers say missile lidar model can spot US F-35 at up to 61.5km A computer simulation developed by Chinese researchers suggests that a missile-borne system with the latest light detection and ranging system, or lidar, could detect and track an F-35 stealth fighter at up to 61.5km (38 miles) at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369995/chinas-missile-lidar-model-worlds-most-accurate-atomic-clock-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369995/chinas-missile-lidar-model-worlds-most-accurate-atomic-clock-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:30:06 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Climate change and agricultural development have brought a new goose population to China with unique migratory patterns, a study has found. In an article on the Chinese Academy of Sciences website, researchers from the CAS Institute of Zoology said they had discovered a “genetically distinct” population of swan geese that emerged in Beijing over the past century. They said the timing of their arrival coincided with environmental shifts in the region during the early 20th century – namely climate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369863/climate-change-and-farming-gave-rise-genetically-distinct-beijing-swan-goose-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369863/climate-change-and-farming-gave-rise-genetically-distinct-beijing-swan-goose-study?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese researchers have developed a “lifelike” shape-changing hydrogel they say could provide a platform for next-generation developments, such as flexible tissue engineering scaffolds, brain-computer interfaces and humanlike robots. Inspired by living organisms, the team created a light-triggered system called STERS, which uses liquid metal particles to generate slow, self-sustaining chemical reactions that allow a hydrogel to change its structure over time. Capable of growing and changing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369897/chinese-team-creates-lifelike-hydrogel-changes-shape-smart-devices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369897/chinese-team-creates-lifelike-hydrogel-changes-shape-smart-devices?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese doctors have performed an unprecedented surgery to save an unborn child who developed a fast-growing tumour. A medical team from Shenzhen and Hong Kong recently completed a challenging, precise reduction of a foetal chest tumour while the baby was still in the womb, offering new hope to families facing similarly dire prognoses. Jointly performed by doctors from Shenzhen Baoan Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the procedure was detailed and published... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369780/chinese-doctors-remove-lung-tumour-baby-still-mothers-womb-using-needle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369780/chinese-doctors-remove-lung-tumour-baby-still-mothers-womb-using-needle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 07:34:47 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists have built a small, stable co-production plant that uses one system to extract hydrogen and fresh water from seawater, while also recovering uranium and bromine and improving electricity use efficiency by about 15 per cent. The team, led by Deng Dehui and Liu Yanting from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, improved on an existing technology that is both costly and power hungry, according to a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Nature... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369704/china-develops-plant-extract-hydrogen-fresh-water-and-uranium-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369704/china-develops-plant-extract-hydrogen-fresh-water-and-uranium-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Authorities in the Chinese capital are releasing more than a billion parasitic wasps and encouraging caterpillar-catching competitions to try to contain the spread of the invasive North American fall webworm. The caterpillars have blanketed trees in Beijing and surrounding areas this summer, spinning clouds of greyish-white webs as they eat their way through foliage. The insects are the fuzzy larval stage of Hyphantria cunea and metamorphose into adult white moths. While not harmful to humans,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369693/beijing-fights-invasive-moths-parasitic-wasps-and-caterpillar-catching-contests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369693/beijing-fights-invasive-moths-parasitic-wasps-and-caterpillar-catching-contests?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Future settlers on Mars would need houses, but they must either spend huge sums transporting construction materials from Earth or use enormous amounts of energy to melt Martian soil into bricks. Scientists in Hong Kong say they have developed a quick and low-cost “living” building material made from genetically engineered yeast, gelatin and sand that can be 3D printed under conditions simulating the Martian environment. Their study, published online last month in Chem Circularity, an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368830/mars-shelter-problem-can-be-solved-engineered-yeast-gelatin-and-sand-paper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368830/mars-shelter-problem-can-be-solved-engineered-yeast-gelatin-and-sand-paper?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela The botanical societies of the United States and China have signed a plant science cooperation initiative, vowing to strengthen bilateral ties and foster an open scientific community to tackle global issues. The joint initiative was signed during a Sino-American botany conference last month in Taian, in China’s eastern Shandong province, which brought together hundreds of experts from institutions in both countries. The conference, held from September 19 to 23, aimed to “further deepen botanical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369652/us-china-botanists-sign-landmark-proposal-cooperation-global-issues-and-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369652/us-china-botanists-sign-landmark-proposal-cooperation-global-issues-and-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik When chemical engineer Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah joined Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 22 years ago, Western institutions dominated the field, from global research infrastructure and high-impact publications to the greatest breakthroughs. Two decades later, the centre of gravity has moved eastward, says Zuhairi, now a professor with the USM school of chemical engineering in Penang. “[Not much was known] about China at that time when I joined the university. I knew that they had quite a number of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369619/malaysia-building-new-research-corridor-across-asia-meet-chinas-rise-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369619/malaysia-building-new-research-corridor-across-asia-meet-chinas-rise-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 02:00:13 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Large-scale field trials across China show that irrigation water treated with natural minerals radiated by sunlight could dramatically increase the yields of several crops, according to Chinese scientists behind the experiments. The team said the trials, including on rice, wheat, soybeans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and vegetables, improved photosynthetic efficiency. Their study, conducted from Heilongjiang province in northeastern China to Hainan province in the south, recorded yield... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369564/crop-outputs-grew-100-chinas-big-agricultural-experiment-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369564/crop-outputs-grew-100-chinas-big-agricultural-experiment-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:02:43 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A small Singaporean research team has beaten scientists in China and the United States to build the world’s most accurate atomic clock. The clock, built with a single ion of a rare earth metal element known as lutetium, is so precise that it would lose one second every 260 billion years – nearly 20 times the age of our universe. It is about four times as accurate as the previous record holder, a calcium-ion clock developed by a Chinese Academy of Sciences team in Wuhan, and also surpasses an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369532/david-vs-goliaths-singapore-builds-most-accurate-clock-ever-leaves-us-and-china-dust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369532/david-vs-goliaths-singapore-builds-most-accurate-clock-ever-leaves-us-and-china-dust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Online claims that archaeologists have identified the source of mercury in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang – China’s first emperor, who unified the country more than 2,000 years ago – have revived interest in ancient cinnabar sites in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province. The claims, which sent related hashtags trending on social media late last month, centred on three sites in Xunyang where archaeologists last year found evidence of cinnabar mining, processing and transport during the pre-Qin... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369469/online-claims-revive-mercury-mystery-around-tomb-first-chinese-emperor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369469/online-claims-revive-mercury-mystery-around-tomb-first-chinese-emperor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A new embodied AI model known as Maxwell – developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Artificial Intelligence for Industries – has shot to first place on the Meta-World benchmark for robot physical tasks. Maxwell scored 91.9 – the highest ever recorded on the simulation benchmark. Meta-World was set up by researchers from Stanford University, UC Berkeley and other institutions to evaluate how well robots perform 50 everyday physical tasks. They range from grasping and carrying to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369420/maxwell-smart-new-chinese-embodied-model-tops-global-ai-ranking-physical-tasks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369420/maxwell-smart-new-chinese-embodied-model-tops-global-ai-ranking-physical-tasks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:06 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A computer simulation developed by Chinese researchers suggests that a missile-borne system with the latest light detection and ranging system, or lidar, could detect and track an F-35 stealth fighter at up to 61.5km (38 miles) at night. The theoretical model developed by a leading Chinese air force missile supplier says that under ideal conditions, the claimed range could have implications for the F-35’s ability to survive while facing China’s stealth fighters. But one analyst is sceptical that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369347/chinese-researchers-say-missile-lidar-model-can-spot-us-f-35-615km?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369347/chinese-researchers-say-missile-lidar-model-can-spot-us-f-35-615km?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:43:15 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Scientists have unveiled an exceptionally well-preserved 100-million-year-old fossil of a small, feathered dinosaur in northeastern China that could reshape our understanding of how dinosaurs took to the skies. The newly discovered species, named Norellraptor barsboldi, is a four-winged predatory dinosaur measuring 57cm (22 inches) long. Belonging to the microraptorines – small dinosaurs with feathers and wings closely related to birds – the creature offers fresh evidence that flight evolved... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369309/4-winged-fossil-found-liaoning-challenges-single-origin-dinosaur-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369309/4-winged-fossil-found-liaoning-challenges-single-origin-dinosaur-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China is offering the world’s brightest young scientists generous 15-year research grants for free exploration, as the country accelerates its drive to become a global science powerhouse. Dou Xiankang, director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the country’s top funder of basic research, told a recent academic forum that the agency was selecting a group of the brightest researchers under 35 for long-term financial backing. Once this group of exceptionally brilliant... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368750/china-offers-15-year-research-grants-worlds-brightest-young-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368750/china-offers-15-year-research-grants-worlds-brightest-young-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:06:50 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s ocean drilling ship Mengxiang has returned from its first expedition in the South China Sea, where it set a national depth record and obtained basalt core samples that could help to unravel the region’s tectonic history. The 30-day expedition organised by the China Geological Survey tested the operational capabilities of the world’s most powerful deep-ocean drilling ship, according to a report published on Monday by the official ministry newspaper Science and Technology Daily. During the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369137/chinese-deep-ocean-drilling-ship-brings-home-precious-south-china-sea-samples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369137/chinese-deep-ocean-drilling-ship-brings-home-precious-south-china-sea-samples?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:11:17 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China plans to complete a geological map of Mars by the end of 2028, as its space rivalry with the United States intensifies. Hou Zengqian, chief scientist of China’s next Mars mission known as Tianwen-3, on Monday said the map would cover the entire surface of the red planet and it aimed to be the global standard for the Martian geological ages. State news agency Xinhua reported that the map would be the first AI-driven geological map of Mars and would be an important part of preparations for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369127/china-reveals-plan-map-entire-surface-mars-2028-amid-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369127/china-reveals-plan-map-entire-surface-mars-2028-amid-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:20:42 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A Chinese team has set a world record for the most autonomous underwater drones operating at the same time, deploying more than a hundred of the small robots in a swimming pool test. The Guinness World Record for “most autonomous underwater vehicles operating simultaneously” was set by a team from Northwestern Polytechnical University in collaboration with Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies. The trial involved a swarm of 116 autonomous underwater vehicles – called TH-618s, the university said in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369031/chinese-team-sets-world-record-swarm-116-underwater-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369031/chinese-team-sets-world-record-swarm-116-underwater-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A heavily redacted police report has deepened the mystery surrounding the death of a young Chinese semiconductor researcher at the University of Michigan, who took his own life soon after what US federal agents described as a routine and voluntary interview. On the cold morning of March 18, Wang Danhao, 31, spoke with two Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers for about 10 minutes outside his rented home in Ann Arbor. When one officer offered to end the interview because of the weather,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368780/us-police-report-raises-more-questions-about-chinese-researcher-wang-danhaos-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368780/us-police-report-raises-more-questions-about-chinese-researcher-wang-danhaos-death?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:00:19 +0000 Eve Qiao Eve Qiao China’s top state research body has put artificial intelligence (AI) and other frontier technologies at the heart of its new five-year plan unveiled on Monday, as global competition in science and technology heats up. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country’s highest academic institution, laid out a detailed blueprint for research and technology development aligned with the national 15th five-year plan covering 2026 to 2030. The plan focuses on innovation in areas including AI and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369084/china-targets-ai-and-frontier-tech-newly-unveiled-innovation-blueprint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369084/china-targets-ai-and-frontier-tech-newly-unveiled-innovation-blueprint?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:00:17 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng In a first, a Chinese company has achieved high-parameter hydrogen-boron plasma control, marking a “significant and valuable” advance in research into neutron-free magnetic confinement fusion. ENN Group, based in Langfang, Hebei province, announced on Monday that its EXL-50U spherical device – a compact tokamak that uses a magnetic field to confine charged gas, or plasma, for nuclear fusion research – had successfully achieved hydrogen-boron fusion reactions. “This marks the first time a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369086/chinese-commercial-reactor-achieves-nuclear-fusion-clean-hydrogen-boron-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369086/chinese-commercial-reactor-achieves-nuclear-fusion-clean-hydrogen-boron-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:00:20 +0000 Djoomart Otorbaev Djoomart Otorbaev The global electronics industry is entering a structural transition. For over two decades, China served as the dominant manufacturing centre, with an unmatched concentration of suppliers, skilled labour, infrastructure, logistics and engineering capabilities. That concentration is being diluted. But interpreting this as the decline of Chinese manufacturing would be a mistake. China is exporting parts of its manufacturing process while retaining the industrial capabilities that matter... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368704/china-no-longer-just-worlds-factory-its-hq?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368704/china-no-longer-just-worlds-factory-its-hq?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China has produced an electron beam using a cutting-edge electron gun, taking a step towards building a “super microscope” that could help drive breakthroughs in everything from Alzheimer’s research to advanced microchips. The Hefei Advanced Light Facility (HALF) in central China’s Anhui province fired its first electron beam on September 20. Bunches of electrons generated by the gun were accelerated by a 192-metre (630-foot) linear accelerator until they reached 2.2 billion electron volts,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368953/china-lights-super-microscope-hopes-world-leading-electron-gun-beam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368953/china-lights-super-microscope-hopes-world-leading-electron-gun-beam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China has unveiled an overhaul of its university system, urging institutions to develop distinct roles as demographic change, a tighter job market and industrial upgrading alter the country’s skills needs. The general offices of the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee as well as the State Council, China’s cabinet, jointly issued guidelines for higher education reform, state news agency Xinhua reported on September 20. The document said universities must adapt to “changing trends in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368952/everyone-can-attend-university-china-unveils-sweeping-higher-education-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368952/everyone-can-attend-university-china-unveils-sweeping-higher-education-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese researchers appear to have revealed a previously unknown satellite-to-satellite refuelling operation in high Earth orbit, putting the country at the forefront of a technology that could reshape the space race. In a paper undergoing peer review for the Journal of Deep Space Exploration, the team said China had “successfully provided room-temperature propellant refuelling for a high-orbit BeiDou satellite for the first time”. The researchers from the state-funded Deep Space Exploration... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368579/claims-chinas-beidou-satellite-was-refuelled-orbit-could-change-space-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368579/claims-chinas-beidou-satellite-was-refuelled-orbit-could-change-space-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Offshore wind farms can reduce the coverage of shore-based radar systems and create areas where targets become harder to detect, according to a new study. The researchers found that at a range of 5km (3 miles), effective radar coverage fell by 6.9 per cent while blind spots increased by 14.9 per cent. The research, published online last month in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Radio Engineering, was conducted by Professor Liu Zunnian and his team from Qingdao Technological University and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368851/offshore-wind-farm-could-create-radar-blind-spots-and-ghost-targets-chinese-study-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368851/offshore-wind-farm-could-create-radar-blind-spots-and-ghost-targets-chinese-study-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 02:00:18 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese researchers have showed a handheld quantum magnetometer built for hunting submarines in a striking real-world test: it tracked a subway train rumbling beneath a city street. The device, developed by Peng Xinhua and colleagues at the University of Science and Technology of China, is described in a study published on September 14 in Acta Physica Sinica. Though it is scarcely larger than a pencil and draws only 5 watts of power, it can isolate the magnetic disturbance caused by a moving... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3367965/china-tested-handheld-submarine-detector-it-tracked-subway-train-underground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3367965/china-tested-handheld-submarine-detector-it-tracked-subway-train-underground?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 02:00:18 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Chinese medical scientists have shattered the brief window of time available to limit stroke damage, effectively shielding injured brain cells and dramatically improving the odds of a full recovery. Brain cells start dying within minutes of a clot blocking an artery, leading to facial droop, affected speech and in severe cases, paralysis or death. Emergency treatments, such as clot-busting drugs or surgery, must be given within a maximum of six hours. According to a study published by the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368614/chinese-drug-loberamisal-extends-stroke-treatment-window-6-hours-2-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368614/chinese-drug-loberamisal-extends-stroke-treatment-window-6-hours-2-days?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 06:29:27 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik While major powers compete in militarised space races and state-led megaprojects, a group comprising a Russian astronaut trainer, Chinese science educators and Malaysian collaborators is laying the groundwork for an international youth space camp. Set to be held in Penang’s rainforest eco-park in late 2027 at the earliest, the week-long programme will gather youth from around the region to inspire future spacefarers, scientists and global citizens through physical exercises, immersion in space... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3367941/china-russia-space-camp-malaysia-opens-youth-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3367941/china-russia-space-camp-malaysia-opens-youth-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Ravi Kant Ravi Kant A country’s diaspora can be a symbol of its pride and power. A nation’s diaspora can help it build international value through success stories, promote its soft power through culture and contribute to its economic progress through remittances, investments and transfers of expertise. India and China have among the world’s largest diasporas. They also offer two very different models of how countries can leverage their diasporas. In India, before the 1991 reforms, people mostly saw those who left... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367636/china-leveraging-its-diaspora-boost-economy-unlike-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367636/china-leveraging-its-diaspora-boost-economy-unlike-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Neurobiologist Ye Bing is returning to China after a long period in the United States, but he says his move is not linked to the suicide of another Chinese scholar at the same university or US policy under the Trump administration. Ye said his decision to join Nanjing University and leave the University of Michigan was not influenced by the death of Chinese scholar Wang Danhao on the same campus six months earlier – a day after Wang was interviewed by US Homeland Security officers. “This is a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368490/neurobiologist-ye-bing-says-his-return-china-not-spurred-michigan-campus-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368490/neurobiologist-ye-bing-says-his-return-china-not-spurred-michigan-campus-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:11 +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. J-50 design team reveals leapfrog tech for China’s next-gen stealth fighters China’s next-generation combat aircraft will be able to fly by themselves if a pilot loses consciousness, navigate without satellite signals and operate in self-reorganising large drone formations. 2. Chinese scientists develop oil... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368449/chinas-stealth-fighters-critical-minerals-lithium-waste-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368449/chinas-stealth-fighters-critical-minerals-lithium-waste-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:30:05 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China has just taken a quiet but critical step in space-based electronic warfare. A Lijian-1 Y18 rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China at noon on Sunday, carrying nine satellites. Among them were three Diting-01 satellites, which successfully entered their planned orbit. The trio is named after Diting, a beast from Chinese mythology that crouches beneath the desk of Ksitigarbha, the bodhisattva of the underworld, and can identify all things simply by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368432/china-launches-its-first-commercial-radio-tracking-satellites-electronic-warfare-leap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3368432/china-launches-its-first-commercial-radio-tracking-satellites-electronic-warfare-leap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 01:30:08 +0000