The quantum computer 祖冲之号 (Zǔchōngzhī hào) that achieved quantum supremacy in 2024
In 2024, Chinese scientists demonstrated that the Zuchongzhi quantum processor, with 105 superconducting qubits, solves problems in seconds that would take classical supercomputers millions of years. According to 搜狐 Sohu, the team set a new world record for speed in quantum computing. The experiment was conducted by the group led by Pan Jianwei at the 中国科学技术大学 (University of Science and Technology of China).
Unlike technologies that can be purchased on the international market, quantum computing is considered by the Chinese government as a strategic capability that "cannot be begged, bought, or implored," as stated by 新华社 Xinhua in a recent analysis. This means that absolute control over the production chain, from hardware to algorithms, remains national.
For Brazil, this creates a long-term digital security problem. When these computers break current encryption, all Brazilian banking and government systems will become vulnerable. The country still does not have a public post-quantum cryptography strategy, while China is already testing commercial quantum networks between cities.
The unprecedented lunar samples from 嫦娥六号 (Cháng'é liù hào) from the far side of the Moon
The Chang'e 6 mission landed in 2024 on the southern hemisphere of the Moon, the far side, and returned with 1935 grams of rocky material never before accessed by humanity. According to 新浪财经 Sina Finance, preliminary analyses conducted in 2025 revealed geological structures that challenge old models about the formation of the satellite. It is the first time that scientists can study the regolith of this region directly.
The mission represents a leap in space engineering because it required the use of a relay satellite, the 鹊桥二号 (Quèqiáo èr hào), to maintain communication with Earth when the probe was on the other side. This demonstrates complex operational capabilities that few countries possess.
Brazil, which has limited space partnerships with China focused mainly on remote sensing satellites such as CBERS, still does not participate in this new phase of lunar exploration. Meanwhile, the data from the samples are already being used to study the viability of helium-3 mining, a potential source of clean energy for the future.
The programmable chromosomal editing technique that could change the global agribusiness
Scientists led by 高彩霞 (Gao Caixia) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Genetics Institute developed a technique called Prime Editing 2.0 adapted for editing whole chromosomes, not just isolated genes. The study was published in the Cell journal in 2024 and represents an advance over traditional CRISPR, allowing for larger changes without breaking DNA strands.
According to 中国新闻网 China News Service, the technology has already been successfully applied to wheat and rice to create varieties resistant to rust and more efficient in nitrogen use. The precision is such that it allows exchanging entire chromosome segments as if they were LEGO pieces.
The impact for Brazil is direct. As the world's largest soybean exporter, the country relies on transgenic seeds patented by multinationals. If China begins to dominate this advanced editing technology and offers open-source seeds or with lower royalties, it could break the current genetic agribusiness oligopoly, benefiting the Brazilian producer in the medium term.
The first intelligent deep-sea mining vehicle for 6000 meters depth
China has developed the world's first robotic vehicle capable of mining polymetallic nodules at 6000 meters deep in the Pacific Ocean. As reported by 哔哩哔哩 Bilibili citing official sources, the equipment has already carried out real-scale collection tests on the seabed, operating autonomously through artificial intelligence.
This depth is crucial because it is where the largest deposits of cobalt, nickel, and rare earths needed for electric car batteries are concentrated. The technology involves robots that suck up the nodules without destroying the benthic fauna, a technical challenge that Western companies have not yet resolved economically.
Brazil has a vast oceanic area, including the ultra-deepwater pre-salt region. The Chinese underwater robotic technology is directly applicable to Brazilian oil exploration. Petrobras already uses Chinese equipment for underwater maintenance, but this deep-sea mining capability opens up possibilities for polymetallic sulfide exploration along the Brazilian coast.
The thermal metamaterials designed by AI that work like air conditioning without electricity
Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University published in the Nature journal in July 2025 a metamaterial that cools surfaces without consuming electrical energy. The secret lies in the microstructure designed by artificial intelligence algorithms, which can choose between millions of possible combinations to create materials that specifically dissipate infrared heat.
According to 中国教育网 China Education Network, the material can reduce the temperature of a surface by up to 15 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature by just reflecting thermal radiation to outer space. This works 24 hours a day, unlike solar panels that only generate energy during the day.
For Brazilian cities like Manaus, Fortaleza, or São Paulo, where the heat is brutal and air conditioning consumption collapses the electrical grid, this technology represents a low-cost solution. Roofs made with these metamaterials could drastically reduce energy demand in public buildings and popular residences.
Surpassing the United States in the high-quality paper ranking of the Nature Index
In 2022, China surpassed the United States as the largest contributor to a group of 82 elite scientific journals indexed by the Nature Index, especially in the fields of physics, chemistry, and Earth sciences. The updated 2023 data show that Chinese scientists published more than 800,000 articles in international journals, about 15% of global production, according to 光明日报 Guangming Daily.
This change is not just quantitative. As analyzed by 新浪财经 Sina Finance, China has shifted from a "quantity over quality" model to lead discoveries in advanced materials, applied artificial intelligence, and molecular biology. The country now dominates the entire chain, from basic research to publication in open-access journals.
For Brazilian researchers, this means that ignoring Chinese scientific literature is no longer a viable option. Fundamental articles on climate change, new materials, and tropical agriculture now come out of laboratories in Beijing or Shenzhen before they do from Harvard or Cambridge. However, the language barrier prevents many Brazilians from accessing these priority findings.
The domestic production of Carbon-14 that eliminates foreign dependence in nuclear medicine
The Qinshan nuclear power plant in Zhejiang began in 2024 to produce Carbon-14 (14C) isotopes on an industrial scale using modified CANDU reactors. According to reports from 哔哩哔哩 Bilibili and confirmed by 中核集团 CNNC, this is the first time China has produced this essential radionuclide internally for dating tests and medical diagnostics.
Before this advance, the country relied on Canadian and Russian imports to obtain the material, paying high prices and subject to geopolitical restrictions. Carbon-14 is used in breath tests to detect H. pylori bacteria, in addition to serving as a tracer in pharmaceutical research. Domestic production guarantees supply for 80% of Chinese hospital demand.
Brazil has only one full-operation research reactor, the IPEN in São Paulo, and imports almost 100% of the radiopharmaceuticals consumed by the public health network. The dependence is so great that shortages of inputs have already paralyzed nuclear medicine exams in the SUS. The Chinese technology for production in commercial reactors could be licensed to Brazil to reduce this critical vulnerability.
The photonic silicon wafers that promise internet faster than 5G
Chinese scientists have developed the first complete wafer of scalable photonic chips for mass production, as reported by the industry on 哔哩哔哩 Bilibili. Unlike traditional electronic chips that use electrons, these devices use photons (particles of light) to process and transmit data, allowing speeds 100 times higher than current 5G with a fraction of the energy consumption.
The technology solves the "energy ceiling" problem of modern data centers. Today, processing centers consume 2% of the world's electricity, and this rate doubles every four years. Photonic chips would reduce this consumption by 90% while increasing the transmission speed between servers. China has already installed quantum and photonic communication lines between Beijing and Shanghai.
Brazil is still struggling with the expansion of 5G due to infrastructure costs and geopolitical disputes over suppliers. Meanwhile, China is already leaping to the next generation of integrated optical communication. This means that in five years, when Brazil finally has 5G working in all capitals, the Chinese market will already be migrating to petaflop photonic networks, creating a new digital divide between countries.
