By Staff Reporters

In 2023, China has made major original achievements in basic research with breakthroughs in key technologies while scientific and technological self-reliance has supported high-quality development. Let's take a look at the top 10 science and technology news selected by Science and Technology Daily.

1. New central commission to drive sci-tech work

The Central Commission of Science and Technology has been established to enhance the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership over science and technology work, according to a plan released by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

2. Crop gene linked to alkali tolerance discovered

Scientists from several Chinese research institutes discovered a crop gene that can enable plants to thrive in saline and alkaline soils. Modification of the gene has the potential to create new saline-alkaline tolerant crops.

3. C919 jetliner goes into commercial operation

The C919, a China-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its inaugural commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, embracing the massive civil aviation market with great potential.

4. FAST finds evidence of nanohertz gravitational waves

Through the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), Chinese Pulsar Timing Array (CPTA) found key evidence of the existence of nanohertz gravitational waves. This is an important breakthrough in the search for the waves, indicating that China's nanohertz gravitational wave research has reached a leading level.

5. New milestone in quantum computing

Chinese scientists set a new world record for generating genuine entanglement, with 51 superconducting qubits prepared and verified. This is of major importance for the study of multi-body quantum entanglement, the realization of large-scale quantum algorithms and quantum computing based on measurement.

6. China's space lab starts operation

China's Tiangong space station, which is also the national space laboratory, has been put into operation, pushing forward space applications and achieving results, according to the China Manned Space Agency in August.

7. Development of human immune system mapped

Researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and other institutions successfully mapped the development of the human immune system with the widest tissue coverage, the longest time span and the highest sampling density. This is expected to promote the development of the global field of immunology and developmental biology.

8. World's first memristor computing-in-memory chip developed

The world's first fully system-integrated memristor computing-in-memory chip was developed by Tsinghua University, which supports efficient on-chip learning and is also energy-efficient. The chip is expected to promote the development of AI, autonomous driving, wearable devices and other high-tech fields.

9. First homegrown large cruise ship delivered

China's first domestically made large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, was formally delivered on November 4, marking a breakthrough in China's high-end cruise ship manufacturing.

10. World's first 4th-generation nuclear plant begins commercial operation

The world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, China's Shidaowan high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) nuclear power plant, officially went into commercial operation on December 6, symbolizing China's global leadership in the field of HTGR nuclear power technology.