China sets out fusion progress, collaboration opportunities

China's state-owned Southwestern Institute of Physics, established in 1965, announced major fusion energy advances at a Vienna event, including its HL-3 tokamak achieving 120 million-degree ion temperatures and 160 million-degree electron temperatures in 2025. The institute, now managed by China Fusion Energy Co, has signed cooperation agreements with the international ITER project and Thailand's nuclear institute, and hosts more than 80 international scientists across over 100 published research papers. China plans to complete two new fusion research facilities—the Shanghai Fusion Science Research Centre and the Tianfu Fusion Technology R&D Centre—by 2030, while developing advanced magnet and plasma control technologies.