
HEFEI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) – In a groundbreaking achievement, China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), commonly referred to as the “artificial sun,” sustained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for an unprecedented 1,066 seconds on Monday. This milestone sets a new world record in nuclear fusion research and brings humanity a step closer to harnessing fusion power as a clean and limitless energy source.
The achievement, spearheaded by the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), far surpasses the previous record of 403 seconds, also held by EAST since 2023. The milestone of 1,000 seconds is regarded as a critical benchmark in fusion research, underscoring significant progress toward long-term stable plasma operation.
The ultimate ambition of the “artificial sun” is to replicate the nuclear fusion processes occurring in the sun, offering a sustainable energy solution that could revolutionize global power systems and facilitate space exploration beyond our solar system.


Fusion energy, often described as the “holy grail” of clean energy, has been the focus of global scientific research for over 70 years. However, achieving practical nuclear fusion requires extraordinary conditions, including maintaining temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, ensuring long-term stability, and achieving precise control.
EAST’s breakthrough demonstrates substantial progress in meeting these challenges. Researchers hope this success will pave the way for fusion reactors capable of generating electricity, a technology that could drastically reduce humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels.
As scientists around the world continue to collaborate and compete in the pursuit of fusion power, EAST’s new record represents a significant leap forward. The achievement underscores China’s growing leadership in advanced energy research and its potential role in shaping the future of sustainable energy.
[Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia]