Day: August 3, 2025

A pair of Hong Kong-listed mainland Chinese biotechnology firms are poised to turn a profit this year as their revenue from novel drugs finally outstrips costs related to research and development and marketing, according to analysts. Advertisement “Chinese biotechs have matured significantly and are creating value for Chinese patients and government payers,” said Tony Ren, head of Asia healthcare research at Macquarie Capital, in a report on July 16. “[Some will] likely turn profitable soon and no longer rely on investors for funding.” Suzhou-based Innovent Biologics, the first Chinese company…

Advertisement Ukrainian air force data suggested that about 15 per cent of drones had penetrated its defences between April and June — rising from just 5 per cent previously. But a group of Chinese aerospace engineers and defence researchers have now proposed a radical technological enhancement for combat drones that may dramatically increase their ability to survive to nearly 90 per cent. At the heart of the proposal was an innovative concept: fitting compact, side-mounted rocket boosters to small or medium-sized drones so they can perform instantaneous, high-G manoeuvres in…

Jeffrey Sachs is an economics professor and director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He was a special adviser to the UN Secretary General and has advised multiple governments on economic transition, debt crisis solutions and poverty alleviation policies. Part 1 of the Sachs interview, published in July last year, can be found here. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Advertisement The tariff truce between China…

China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier may have successfully conducted a fighter jet catapult take-off drill, according to the latest footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV. Advertisement The feat marks a key milestone for the Fujian – China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult – before its expected entry into service this year. The 6½ minute segment showing the apparently successful take-off was aired as part of Forging Ahead, a five-episode series launched on August 1 to mark the 98th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).…

A Chinese woman remains missing after being swept away by floodwaters in southeastern Australia. Advertisement China’s Consulate General in Sydney had confirmed the news, while urging local authorities to “make every effort” to save her, Chinese state media reported on Sunday. The 26-year-old was one of two Chinese women caught up in floods in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales (NSW) state on Saturday evening. The other woman, 27, was rescued, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the consulate. The mission said that it had contacted local…

The southern Chinese province of Guangdong reported thousands of new cases of chikungunya fever last week as the local authorities promised “decisive and forceful measures” to stop the spread of the disease. Advertisement According to state broadcaster CCTV, Guangdong reported 2,892 new cases in the week leading up to Saturday, with no severe or fatal infections. Most of those – 2,770 – were in Foshan, with Guangzhou, the provicincial capital, recording 65 cases. At a meeting of the provincial government on Saturday, governor Wang Weizhong, called for “more resolute” measures…

In the quest to harness the power of the stars, one of the greatest challenges lies not in mastering fusion, but in finding materials strong enough to contain it. Advertisement At the heart of a nuclear fusion reactor is an ultra-powerful superconducting magnet, operating at temperatures near absolute zero and under immense magnetic stress. For decades, scientists from around the world have struggled to find materials that simultaneously endure such extreme cold and extreme force. Chinese scientists have detailed how they created CHSN01 (China high-strength low-temperature steel No 1), deployed…

Chinese engineers have unveiled the world’s first brain-like computer made up of more than 2 billion artificial neurons. Advertisement The Darwin Monkey is the latest generation of brain-inspired computers produced by Zhejiang University researchers. “This is the world’s first brain-like computer based on a dedicated neuromorphic chip with more than 2 billion neurons,” the university said on its social media account on Saturday. The computing system, made up of 960 Darwin 3 brain-inspired computing chips creating over 100 billion synapses, is “a step closer to achieving more advanced brain-like intelligence”,…