Science Island showcases China's commitment to science and technology innovation

Surrounded by a huge reservoir and dense vegetation, an islet in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, looks tranquil. Yet it is devoted to something very big, namely nuclear fusion research with the future of humanity in mind.

Science Island is an epitome of innovation and the opening up of China's science and technology in pursuit of future clean energy, as well as solutions to climate change and health problems, through global cooperation.

"One thing I really like here is, as you can see in the control room, the large number of young people that are involved in the project. This is exactly what fusion needs," said Richard Pitts, leader of the Experiments and Plasma Operation Section of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Being built in France by seven ITER members -- China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States, ITER will be the world's largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor. A tokamak is basically a magnetic cage designed to confine, shape and control the super-hot plasmas that make fusion reactions possible.

Pitts said that ITER should be seen as a foundational project to bring nations together, and China is a brilliant example of this.

China officially joined the ITER program in 2006. Nearly 10 percent of the procurement packages were undertaken by China. The Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), located on the island, is the main unit of the Chinese mission.

"China is leading nuclear fusion. Our cooperation in basic research gave very good results in applied research," Grigory Trubnikov, director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said while visiting the island on July 1.

"We have a lot of plans together, and not only in basic research, but also in engineering, physics, novel energy, biomedicine and more to improve the quality of people's life," he noted.

Science Island is home to the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), known as the "Chinese artificial sun." Its ultimate goal is to create nuclear fusion like the sun, using substances abundant in the sea to provide a steady stream of clean energy.   

In 2023, a new construction and operation plan was developed for the ITER program, which requires experimentation to find and solve potential problems. With the same technology path and experimental conditions as ITER, EAST was chosen by the ITER organization as a partner in optimizing its new plans.

China has been sharing the achievements of EAST with the rest of the world.

In May 2023, the Chinese Academy of Sciences officially launched a pilot program on magnetic confinement fusion energy research for open innovation, aiming to build a globally competitive open innovation ecosystem.

With the support of major scientific facilities including EAST, ASIPP has actively facilitated the development of relevant disciplines and experimental devices in countries in Southeast Asia, West Asia, South America, and North Africa.

On July 25, 2023, Thailand's first experimental tokamak device was officially launched, the fruit of a joint collaboration between ASIPP and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology.

Aiming to enhance Thailand's capability in fusion research, the two sides had decided to join hands to build the first tokamak device in an ASEAN country, while also helping Thailand cultivate a team of young talents in fusion research.

"More than 100 people from our team travel to ITER headquarters almost every year to carry out joint research," said Gong Xianzu, head of division of EAST Physics and Experimental Operations.

Meanwhile, more than 500 foreign scholars visit Science Island every year for exchange and collaboration with their Chinese counterparts. The islet has introduced over 130 foreign professionals and established an innovation network covering more than 150 research institutions from about 70 countries and regions, according to the ASIPP.

About 16 km from Science Island lies the Origin Wukong, China's independently developed third-generation superconducting quantum computer.

Named after a mythical legend in China, the high-tech computer has demonstrated its powerful capabilities. Since starting operation on Jan. 6, it has completed about 250,000 quantum computing tasks for global users, and the number of instances of access to the computer for over 125 countries and regions has exceeded 12 million, according to local authorities.

China will enhance its capacity for opening up while expanding international cooperation, and capable private enterprises in leading national initiatives will be supported to make breakthroughs in major technologies, according to the resolution of CPC Central Committee on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization.

Computing power will be the foundation of the economy in the future, and quantum computing power is much stronger than that of a super computer and requires lower energy consumption, said Guo Guoping, chief scientist at Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co., Ltd.

"We can use quantum computing technology to achieve breakthroughs in various industries to improve productivity, create more value and help promote economic development," Guo added.