Scientists from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are working to help African countries transform the sandy regions into greener, arable land with more trees and productive agricultural practices. As June 17 marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, these efforts are gaining increased attention and are expected to yield fruitful outcomes.
For years, scientists from China and Uzbekistan have collaborated to tackle the Aral Sea crisis, with endeavors ranging from joint research expeditions to soil remediation and water-efficient agricultural practices.
The Yangtze sturgeon, a nationally protected first-class animal, was once a vital part of the river's ecosystem. However, by the early 2000s, water pollution, overfishing and other factors had pushed it to the edge. In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the species extinct in the wild. The last known natural reproduction occurred in 2000. Yet, scientists refused to give up. They spent years developing techniques to restore the sturgeon's spawning grounds. Their efforts paid this year in the Chishui River, one of the tributaries of the upper Yangtze.
Researchers from the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently unveiled the Chinese Seed Trait Database, a comprehensive repository covering seed traits across all of China's climates and biomes. The findings, published in the latest issue of the journal New Phytologist, address critical gaps in global seed trait data, which have historically been skewed toward regions like Western Europe and Brazil.
Last year, Chen Liquan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was awarded the CAS Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievement Award, a recognition for a lifetime of groundbreaking contributions. From developing China's first all-solid-state lithium metal battery to mentoring a new generation of scientists and entrepreneurs, Chen's work has been instrumental in transforming China from a follower to a global leader in battery technology.
While China's green energy transition appears to have a heavy focus on electric vehicles, solar, wind and hydro power, another clean energy source being developed is hydrogen. Zhou Wu, an expert on hydrogen catalysis has been a driving force behind China's research into the process that could revolutionize the clean commercial production of hydrogen.
At the end of 2024, Chinese scientist Wei Yuansong, a leading expert in water pollution control, received an extraordinary honor: a set of commemorative stamps issued by Sri Lanka featuring his portrait. This rare tribute recognized his decade-long commitment to providing communities with safe drinking water and fostering scientific collaboration between China and Sri Lanka.
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Aug, 202506
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Jun, 2025Chengdu, Sichuan
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Jul, 2025Harbin, Heilongjiang
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Jun, 2025Guangzhou, Guangdong
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