CHINA will provide global researchers with access to 10 of its major scientific research facilities this year, officials announced at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, which concluded yesterday. At the forum, China introduced the Action Plan for International Cooperation in Open Science, which is designed to expand global access to leading research platforms. The facilities include some of the nation’s most advanced platforms: the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou Province, the Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure in Heilongjiang Province, and the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak in Anhui Province. The list also includes cutting-edge experiments in deep underground, ultra-low radiation background physics; pulse strong magnetic field experimental equipment; steady-state strong magnetic field experimental equipment; the “Meridian Project”; comprehensive extreme-conditions experimental facilities; high-altitude cosmic-ray observation stations; and the manned deep-sea submersible “Fen Dou Zhe.” According to the announcement, the move aims to further advance the Action Plan for International Cooperation in Open Science — a project initiated by China and global partners in 2025 to foster an open, fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory global environment for scientific and technological development. The initiative aligns with China’s broader push to drive technological innovation through high-level international collaboration. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), released earlier this month, proposes fostering an open and globally competitive innovation ecosystem, while supporting joint efforts by scientists worldwide to tackle fundamental and frontier scientific challenges. By opening its premier research infrastructure to the international community, China seeks to promote shared scientific progress and strengthen global cooperation in addressing complex research questions that transcend borders. (Xinhua, SD-Agencies) | 