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Science
Latest news on research and breakthroughs by Chinese scientists, as the country ramps up investment in science and innovation as part of its ambitions to become a world-leading power by 2035, and other developments worldwide.
The J-20, also known as the Mighty Dragon, is a twin-engine stealth fighter viewed as China’s answer to America’s F-22 “Raptor”. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

China’s J-20 stealth fighter’s radar leap credited to semiconductor scientist Xu Xiangang

Shandong University says breakthroughs led by Professor Xu Xiangang have helped the Mighty Dragon triple its radar detection range.

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Archaeology and palaeontology

Did China’s first emperor launch westwards mission to find ‘elixir of life’?

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United States

US students discover Unit 731 horrors, and an American war crime cover-up

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Mainland China

Study shows how robots replaced master workers in Chinese military drone factory

Researchers in Beijing transformed a production line with a robotic arm that drilled holes twice as fast as humans, with no quality rejects.

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The robot arm during testing by a research team from the China Academy of Space Technology. Credit: CAST

Wilczek’s Multiverse | From quasiparticles to quasi-worlds, and the possibilities for quantum research

Feats of engineering being achieved in quantum information processing and machine learning make a cosmic multiverse seem very likely.

Mainland China

China starts mass production of world’s first non-binary AI chip

China’s AI chip overcomes traditional computing barriers and will be used in touch displays, flight systems and aircraft navigation.

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Mainland China

Microplastics from biodegradable material may be linked to diabetes, study finds

Polylactic acid – used in food packaging, disposable tableware and clothing – found to alter gut metabolism and harm gut barrier of mice.

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A new study looks at the impact of microplastics from polylactic acid – a common biodegradable material – after they are ingested. Photo: Shutterstock
Fudan University

China’s rare mineral gives blind mice ‘super vision’, offers hope for humans

Sightless mice, monkey see infrared with tellurium-powered artificial retinas, bringing scientists closer to treating blindness in people.

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Mainland China

Explainer | AI content detector: why does China dismiss it as ‘superstition tech’?

Detection tools can produce false results, Science and Technology Daily warns, citing 100-year-old essay rated as 60 per cent written by AI.

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Mainland China

Mothers were in charge of ancient Chinese society, Neolithic burial site reveals

Neolithic society in eastern China tracing descent through female line lasted 250 years and at least 10 generations, Chinese-led team finds.

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The Fujia archaeological site, which was excavated in 1985, 1995 and 2021, has revealed “comprehensive genomic evidence of a two-clanned matrilineal community”. Photo: Handout

How Chinese plane radar tracks moving targets without breaking radio silence

‘Space-time decoupling’ allows Cessna-208 to cancel out environmental clutter and track moving vehicles with crystal clarity.

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Two light aircraft were used to track the targets. Photo: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Mainland China

Ultra-secure space-ground network? China’s quantum ambition takes shape

Two modules were part of a rocket launch last week, in a ‘key step’ towards an integrated space-air-ground quantum network.

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Mainland China

US still king of critical tech, but China quickly closing gaps: report

Contrary to other global trackers, university’s tech race scorecard puts US in front in critical fields with China gaining from ‘research achievements, human capital’.

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Mainland China

Senior biologist Lu Wei leaves US government post for China

Top Chinese researcher is the latest academic to leave after US President Donald Trump’s university funding cuts.

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Lu Wei is the third full-time senior principal investigator from top US institutions to join SMART in the past month. Photo: Handout
Energy

Next-generation battery expert Zhou Jianbin leaves US for China amid global race

Research into solid-state batteries, seen as a key tech battleground, is a priority for major economies.

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Solid-state batteries are seen as a key technological battleground. Photo: Xinhua
Archaeology and palaeontology

China’s scientists unlock secrets of how early birds conquered the skies

Analysis of feathers trapped in amber sheds new light on evolutionary path that led to early birds’ ability to fly.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong must reform its degree offerings to attract West’s brightest

Universities must evolve and burnish their offerings in the latest disciplines, from AI to cybersecurity, as US crackdowns send more to the East.

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Mainland China

Chinese researcher pathogen case ‘politicised’, risks further US talent exodus

Arrest of researcher for alleged smuggling of ‘agroterrorism weapon’ risks further damage to US-China collaboration.

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Fungal spores that can cause plant disease are viewed under a microscope. A case of alleged smuggling of a pathogen into the US has renewed concerns about a further talent exodus from the country
Mainland China

Is the common fungus Fusarium graminearum an ‘agroterrorism agent’?

Two Chinese researchers charged with smuggling and conspiracy after attempting to enter the US with fungus that causes crop damage.

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Mainland China

China team triples distance record set by direct quantum communication founder

Scientists in Shanghai send paired photos between users 300km apart using a method they say is secure and scalable.

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SCMP Highlights

World’s fastest coilgun, Covid ‘lab-leak’ theory debunked: 7 science highlights

From the tech behind the world’s fastest coilgun to a college dropout’s maths breakthrough, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.

China has unveiled a powerful new electromagnetic gun believed to be powered by lithium batteries. This version (pictured) is a non-lethal weapon that fires coin-shaped bullets with electromagnetic force and would be used for riot control. Photo: CCTV
Japan

Plastic that dissolves in seawater? Japan unveils ocean pollution solution

The new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down when exposed to salt, researchers say.

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A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Riken Centre for Emergent Matter Science in Japan. Photo: Reuters
Mainland China

Did China’s Tiandu-1 beat US competitors with critical Earth-moon orbit?

Experts in North America dispute Chinese developer’s claim for primacy in the breakthrough for space exploration infrastructure.

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China is working on an ultra-fast torpedo powered by AI for submarine warfare

Technology could help supercavitating torpedoes achieve a 92 per cent success rate in distinguishing real submarines from decoys.

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US-China relations

Chinese scientist Liu Zunyong tried to bring toxic fungus into US, FBI says

The pathogen, found stashed in his backpack at the airport, can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice, and sicken livestock and people.

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Fusarium fungi is depicted in a 3D illustration. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Mathematician Zhong Xiao leaves Finland for China with award-winning work

Celebrated China-born mathematician Zhong Xiao returns home after living in Finland for almost three decades.

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Award-winning mathematician Professor Zhong Xiao has returned to China after nearly three decades in Finland. Photo: The Paper
Space

Milky Way’s cosmic collision: is it less likely than we thought?

A new study suggests our galaxy’s long-predicted merger with Andromeda is now essentially a coin flip.

A soothing cup of rice? Chinese scientists create health-boosting tea grain

In a study, the team engineered ‘tea rice’ that has been fortified with the antioxidant compounds in green tea – without the caffeine.

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