Science
Technology
How China’s changing the brain-computer interface race
By taking a semi-invasive approach to developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) — systems that link brain signals to computers — China is moving ahead of the US in commercialising BCI applications. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Sha examines this development.
Liu Sha
20 Jul 2026
Technology
Is China a threat, or just out-engineering everyone?
Inverting Joseph Needham’s questions about the failure of modern science in China gives us a framework to understand China’s advances in science and innovation today, especially its edge in AI, says academic Erik Baark.
Erik Baark
13 Jul 2026
Technology
US’s biotech scrutiny tests China’s drugmakers abroad
A proposed US bill to tighten scrutiny of biotech investment in China is casting a shadow over cross-border drug licensing, threatening a fast-growing partnership model that has fuelled innovation and global drug development.
Caixin Global
10 Jul 2026
Technology
How China’s quantum race threatens nuclear deterrence
China’s rapid advances in quantum technology are reshaping military competition and challenging the foundations of nuclear deterrence, forcing the US and its allies to confront a new era of strategic instability, says researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad.
Tahir Mahmood Azad
06 Jul 2026
Technology
[Big read] The returnees: Inside China’s AI talent reversal
From Silicon Valley to Beijing and Shenzhen, a growing number of AI researchers are returning to China, reshaping careers, companies and the global balance of tech talent. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Sha examines this high-stakes return and what drives it.
Liu Sha
26 May 2026
Politics
From exception to rule: Top scientists reshape China’s party leadership
Academicians from China’s top scientific bodies, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), are increasingly entering the CCP’s leadership, reshaping elite governance and driving the country’s rapid, innovation-led technological rise, observe academic Li Cheng and pre-doctoral fellow Zhao Xiuye of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World in Hong Kong.
Li Cheng, Zhao Xiuye
17 Apr 2026
Economy
China’s beauty brands shine online as foreign rivals falter
China’s beauty upstarts are seizing the spotlight as foreign brands stumble in a fiercely competitive market. With digital savvy, localisation strategies and “self-developed” formulas, they are rewriting the rules of China’s cosmetics game. Will China’s cosmetics market become a battlefield foreign brands can no longer win?
Caixin Global
20 Feb 2026
Technology
Who’s winning the nuclear fusion race?
One of the many areas where China is vying with the US is the nuclear industry, particularly nuclear fusion for energy. While the US remains ahead for now, China is also moving quickly to build its nuclear infrastructure. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks to academics and those in the industry.
Lim Zhan Ting
13 Feb 2026
Technology
[Video] Why China’s thorium breakthrough is a win for China’s energy security
Thorium is now emerging as a potential game changer for China’s nuclear energy advancement and energy security, after the country’s world-first breakthrough of converting thorium into uranium fuel in a molten salt reactor. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina explains.
Yi Jina
26 Dec 2025
Technology
China’s humanoid robot boom: All hype, little practicality?
Over 150 humanoid robot companies are now operating in China, yet questions remain about whether these machines can truly deliver industrial value. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yush Chau looks at challenges and prospects for the industry.
Yush Chau
12 Dec 2025
Technology
Innovative drugs: The new battleground in US-China rivalry
The race for innovative drugs has become a defining front in US-China competition. While the US leads in original innovation, China is rapidly advancing through strategy, scale and efficiency, shaping the future of global pharmaceutical development, says NUS Emeritus Professor Ong Choon Nam.
Ong Choon Nam
09 Dec 2025