China’s drive to develop controllable nuclear fusion is entering a “decisive phase,” with fusion-related procurements totaling nearly 10 billion yuan ($1.37 billion) expected to be completed this year, according to experts and executives at a major industry conference in Hefei, Anhui province.
Speaking at the Fusion Energy Technology and Industry Conference 2026, which drew more than 1,500 participants, speakers said China’s fusion program is ready to move from research to the development of practical energy systems. A report by China Daily highlights the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST), under construction in Hefei, which aims to demonstrate net fusion power gain and electricity generation by around 2030.
“Fusion is no longer just a physics experiment. It is becoming an energy engineering project,” said Song Yuntao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Plasma Physics. “The key question now is how to build it, operate it and make it economically viable.”
