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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.
LATEST China Science NEWS

Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US

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China’s Long March 12A, the country’s first state-owned reusable rocket, has failed on its debut launch on Tuesday morning. Photo: Weibo

Chinese researchers show how a word could let spies take control of a robot army

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The team that identified the security flaw has urged manufacturers to establish their own security systems or seek external help. Photo: Xinhua

Well-preserved section of China’s 2,200-year-old four-lane highway discovered

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A previously identified section of the road. Archaelogists are slowly piecing togther the whole route. Photo: Handout

DeepSeek’s shock rise, China’s robot boot camps: 7 AI breakthroughs in 2025

DeepSeek is being touted as China’s secret weapon in the artificial intelligence war with the US. Photo: AFP

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

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Leading mRNA immunologist Hu Haitao has joined the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Microbiology in Beijing. Photo: Handout
MORE China Science NEWS
A close-up of the rare Rafflesia flower rediscovered in West Sumatra last month by flower-hunter Septian Andriki, a team led by researcher Joko Witono, Oxford scientist Chris Thorogood and local guide Iswandi. Photo: X/Chris Thorogood
Indonesia

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

The giant flower find has renewed calls among researchers to rename its genus, which honours British colonial official Thomas Raffles.

United States

Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US

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Shanghai

Chinese researchers show how a word could let spies take control of a robot army

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Mainland China

Well-preserved section of China’s 2,200-year-old four-lane highway discovered

Stretch of Qin Straight Road reveals sophisticated construction techniques including rammed-earth slope reinforcements and filled valleys.

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A previously identified section of the road. Archaelogists are slowly piecing togther the whole route. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

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.

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Archaeology and palaeontology

In eastern China, ancient ruins push back the date of Yangtze delta’s earliest cities

Excavations at the Doushan site near Wuxi suggest water may have spurred the development of the oldest centres in the area.

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Mainland China

China speeds up armour steel production by 30%, US Conshohocken plant folds

Chinese military supplier solves tech snag to boost manufacturing levels, while American counterpart ceases operations due to financial loss.

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Tanks drive past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Photo: Dpa
Mainland China

Targeted jamming incident blinds GPS and BeiDou in east China’s Nanjing

Food delivery, drone control and ride-hailing apps paralysed during satellite navigation blackout in city of nearly 10 million.

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Mainland China

Landmark in-air refuelling test extends China’s drone swarm delivery range to US

Strike radius of Chinese drone programme capable of carrying deadly military weapons doubled to reach Washington, New York and Miami.

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Mainland China

How China cracked US ‘super code’ that controls most power grids in the world

Breakthrough could shake-up global tech markets with nations able to run their own grids and break away from US dominance.

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China’s Southern Regional Electricity Market, the world’s largest unified power market, has fully switched to the homegrown Tianquan solver, which is 14 per cent faster than US rivals. Photo: EPA-EFE
Mainland China

Chinese team builds optical chip AI that is 100 times faster than Nvidia’s A100

Researchers harnessed the power of light to create a chip that could perform complex generative tasks with vastly improved energy efficiency.

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Researchers said the chips could make AI “more sustainable”. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Why US lawmakers killed a proposal targeting science efforts with China

US researchers and industry experts warn that even the revised version may have unintended consequences.

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Mainland China

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.

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Belgium

China offers ‘wonderful opportunity’ for scientists: top European neurologist

Consciousness expert Steven Laureys has taken on a role at Hangzhou Normal University amid ‘challenging times’ for science in the US.

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Steven Laureys is working with researchers at Hangzhou Normal University. Photo: Handout
SCMP Highlights

Physicists prove Einstein wrong, US-China jet race: 7 science highlights

From a fresh water production breakthrough to a promising Parkinson’s treatment, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.

China has figured out a way to produce fresh water from seawater for just two yuan (US$0.28) per cubic metre. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

How Chinese scientists turn allergy into a powerful weapon against cancer

Mast cell platform can expand to carry other payloads, such as molecules, viruses, proteins and drug-loaded nanoparticles.

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Mainland 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.

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Mainland 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.

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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
Mainland China

Why China’s growing demand for rare-earth steel is bad news for America’s F-35

Advanced product is used in huge infrastructure projects but that has further reduced supply for overseas buyers like the US defence sector.

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Mainland China

Sperm quality decline: could easy-to-use balm from China solve the crisis?

In China, unhealthy lifestyles, pollution and work-related stress are cited in public health discussions around declining sperm quality.

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Space

Open Questions | Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin on why he’ll be happy if AI surpasses humans

Acclaimed author of the Three-Body trilogy also discusses his ‘dark forest’ theory, and the struggle to come up with original ideas.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
Mainland China

How China’s US$150,000 robot start-up beat Elon Musk in 2 years

EngineAI robot delivers forceful Bruce Lee-style kicks, while Musk’s Optimus jogs a few steps and falls over while handing out water bottle.

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EngineAI Robotics’ humanoid T800 is capable of delivering Bruce Lee-style roundhouse kicks with great force. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

China’s green tech revolution will outlast geopolitics: Arif Aga

Low costs, not geopolitics, will drive the global energy transition in the long run, industry consultant says.

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United States

US green tech retreat echoes mistake of China’s Qing dynasty before collapse

While Washington pulls back on climate, Beijing is making it possible for developing nations to leapfrog into a cleaner energy era.

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United States

Race for AI space centres: why the US goes all in after China makes first move

Beijing and Washington battle for tech domination with next-gen plans to launch supercomputers into orbit and transform global connectivity.

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The push to deploy AI into orbit is a strategic gambit with far-reaching consequences for national security and economic dominance. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

How China left the US years behind in sixth-generation jet race

Experience and skill in building stealth fighter jets is crucial to get the competitive edge on rivals, says lead designer Yang Shuifeng.

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This first glimpse of a J-36 fighter on the ground, reportedly parked on a tarmac at Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, started circulating on X earlier this year. Photo: X/ @WZZJWZ
Norway

Flood expert Xu Chongyu leaves Europe for China as climate change speeds up

Scientist whose hydrological models have guarded European cities from rising tides returns to China to tackle critical water challenges.

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Hong Kong

Soft brain chip could help solve Neuralink’s big implant challenge

University of Hong Kong team’s discovery could help solve a major problem for bioelectronic devices, rejection by the immune system.

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