Several recent breakthroughs, combined with intense investment, could lead to China erasing Europe’s early lead in nuclear fusion research.
Nuclear fusion, the process of combining atomic nuclei to release vast amounts of energy, has long been hailed as the ultimate clean and virtually limitless energy source. Europe took an early lead in this research and has kept the momentum going with the monumental ITER project in France.
The United States has also been making an intensified push into fusion research in recent years, motivated by its massive emissions reduction and energy security potential.
China, by contrast, got a later start in these fusion efforts. But it has made strides in this frontier technology recently and could quickly overtake European, American and Japanese efforts.
China’s rise as a global leader
China is home to the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) project, often referred to as the “Artificial Sun”. Operated by the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, EAST has achieved several critical milestones.
In 2021, EAST achieved a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius, sustaining it for 101 seconds. Later, it reached an even higher temperature of 160 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds—surpassing many international benchmarks.
China is also planning to develop its first experimental fusion power reactor, the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), slated for completion in the 2030s. China is contributing key components to ITER, such as superconducting magnets and shielding blankets, and CFETR aims to bridge the gap between ITER and commercial fusion power plants, which will position China as a leader in deploying fusion energy.
Magnetic Chinese progress
“From a non-player 25 years ago, China has developed world-class capabilities in the sector,” notes Cyrille Mai Thanh, the EU Affairs Director for the Fusion Industry Association.
According to the Japanese business wire Nikkei, since 2011, China has filed more patents in the fusion supply chain than any other country. “China has ten times as many PhDs in fusion science and engineering as the US.
In 2023, China’s EAST superconducting tokamak set a world record, achieving over 400 seconds of sustained high-temperature plasma – an important milestone in the exploration of plasmas that will be required for future fusion machines.”
“The Chinese government is reported to be investing nearly $1.5 billion annually on fusion energy, almost double the US fusion budget,” remarked Mai Thanh. In April 2024, Beijing adopted a new Atomic Energy Law, which will guide fusion regulation in the next years.
Fusion technology has also been added to the Chinese Communist Party’s annual government work reports for the first time, and Beijing is aiming to have an industrial prototype fusion machine by 2035, ready for commercial use by 2050.
Magnetic confinement fusion
The technology of magnetic confinement fusion could be key to this strategy. EAST employs advanced superconducting magnets, setting the stage for high-performance plasma confinement and stability.
In this process, a stable reaction can be obtained in the extreme conditions of fusion creation through confinement, which uses very powerful magnetic fields to confine and manage the plasma, the ionised gas made of the mixture of the two isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium.
This type of fusion activity is also being used by other projects, such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems in the United States, which counts European shareholders such as Italian energy company Eni.
While China has been making significant advances, it is clear that it cannot get to the fusion holy grail on its own. Collaboration with global partners like ITER remains essential.
Europe, with its emphasis on international cooperation and cutting-edge technology, offers a complementary model to China’s state-led approach. Meanwhile, the US and other nations focused on private-sector-driven innovation are creating a diverse ecosystem of fusion research.
Japanese advancements
In Japan, where work on fusion began much earlier, advancements are also proceeding at a pace that can partner with Chinese progress. “As an energy importer, Japan understood the strategic importance of fusion in enhancing its energy security” early on, notes Mai Thanh.
Some of this recent research has taken place in the context of Japan’s Moonshot Research and Development Programme, which aims to solve Japan’s unique problems, such as a rapidly ageing population and particular vulnerability to the impacts of global warming. Moonshot Goal 10 is specifically aimed at nuclear fusion, reaching diverse applications of the technology by 2050 for the “realisation of a dynamic society in harmony with the global environment and free from resource constraints.”
Long-term sustainability
Japan’s focus has been on the long-term sustainability of nuclear fusion, marked by a combination of experimental innovation, strong international partnerships, and a focus on practical applications.
Its research is primarily centred around two prominent projects: the Japan Torus-60 Super Advanced (JT-60SA) project in Naka, a tokamak-type fusion reactor jointly developed by Japan and the European Union under the Broader Approach Agreement, and the Helical Fusion Research project, a large helical device located at the National Institute for Fusion Science in Toki.
While the former is using tokamak technology designed to complement the work of ITER, the latter is one of the world’s largest stellarator-type devices.
Unlike tokamaks, stellarators offer continuous plasma confinement without the need for pulsed operation, addressing a critical challenge for steady-state fusion power plants. Both use advanced superconducting magnets to confine plasma. Japan leads in developing radiation-resistant materials, crucial for the longevity and safety of fusion reactors.
The Japanese government launched its Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy, aimed at supporting the “realisation of fusion energy as the world’s next-generation energy source,” in April 2023.
Domestic private fusion
In March this year, the government also announced the creation of the Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion) to encourage the development of a domestic private fusion industry. For Japan, as for China, progress cannot be made in a vacuum, and partnerships will be essential.
During a visit to the US earlier this year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a new partnership bringing together the US Department of Energy and Japan’s Ministry of Science and Technology to collaborate on accelerating the demonstration and commercialisation of fusion energy. The government also sent a delegation to the United Kingdom last year to deepen British-Japanese fusion cooperation.
The global race toward nuclear fusion is not a zero-sum game. Progress in one region accelerates breakthroughs worldwide, bringing us closer to realising fusion’s promise of abundant, carbon-free energy.
Whether through international collaboration, public funding, or private ingenuity, the dream of fusion power is becoming increasingly tangible—offering hope for a sustainable energy future. But which global region can benefit the most from its deployment will be determined by government policies, investor confidence and business strategies.
[Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]
