Business. News – Sept 20, 2024.

South China Morning Post. September 19, 2024.

1 - The US led on nuclear fusion for decades. Now China is in position to win the race

Shanghai's thriving tech scene, known for its spectacular light shows, is home to innovative companies like Energy Singularity, which is focusing on nuclear fusion energy. As the US faces concerns over losing its lead in fusion technology, China's government is heavily investing between $1 billion and $1.5 billion annually in fusion research, surpassing the US's $800 million. Nuclear fusion, which promises vast amounts of clean energy, remains a challenging goal, with countries struggling to sustain fusion reactions long enough for practical use. Energy Singularity has received over $112 million in private funding and developed a tokamak, a key device for fusion, using advanced superconducting magnets. While the US was a pioneer in fusion research, it now relies on aging facilities and international collaborations. China's rapid advancements include a surge in fusion patents and the development of new tokamaks that mimic American designs. Although the US has achieved notable milestones with laser technology, China's investments could soon outpace US efforts, potentially reshaping the global energy landscape and positioning China as a leader in fusion energy.

2 - Respected mathematician Kenji Fukaya leaves US to teach at China’s Tsinghua University

Kenji Fukaya, a notable Japanese mathematician, has transitioned from Stony Brook University in the US to Tsinghua University in China as a full-time professor. He recently delivered his first lecture at Tsinghua and launched an open course on symplectic geometry, attracting significant interest from students and faculty. Fukaya noted that Chinese students exhibit a strong dedication to mathematics, reminiscent of his own experiences in Japan, and expressed optimism about the growth of a skilled community of mathematicians in China as more researchers return to teach there.

Fukaya, affiliated with Tsinghua's Yau Mathematical Sciences Centre and the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, has made significant contributions to Riemannian and symplectic geometry, impacting fields like low-dimensional topology and mirror symmetry. He holds a PhD from the University of Tokyo and has received various prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Geometry Prize from the Mathematical Society of Japan and being a member of the Japan Academy. Fukaya emphasizes the creative and aesthetic aspects of mathematics, viewing it as a blend of imagination and logical reasoning.

3 - China would love a domestic Nvidia rival — but that's proving quite the challenge

Chinese companies are ramping up efforts to produce a viable alternative to Nvidia's chips that power artificial intelligence as Beijing continues its efforts to wean itself off American technology.

U.S. sanctions slapped on China over the past few years, along with Nvidia 's dominance in the space, have provided big challenges for Bejing's efforts, at least in the short term, analysts told CNBC.

Nvidia's well-documented boom has been driven by large cloud computing players buying its server products which contain its graphics processing units, or GPUs. These chips are enabling companies, such as ChatGPT maker OpenAI, to train their huge AI models on massive amounts of data.

These AI models are fundamental to applications like chatbots and other emerging AI applications.

The U.S. government has restricted the export of Nvidia's most advanced chips to China since 2022, with restrictions tightening last year.

Such semiconductors are key to China's ambitions to become a leading AI player.

CNBC spoke to analysts who identified some of China's leading contenders that are looking to challenge Nvidia, including technology giants Huawei, Alibaba and Baidu and startups such as Biren Technology and Enflame.

The overarching view is that they are lagging behind