Shanghai a focal point of efforts to strengthen long-term basic research

At the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute in Shanghai, 35-year-old physicist Mei Hualin is helping build TRIDENT — Tropical Deep-sea Neutrino Telescope — a deep-sea neutrino observatory in the South China Sea that scientists hope will shed light on the origins of high-energy cosmic rays and other mysteries of the universe.

When Mei returned from an overseas position in 2023, it was not only the prospect of tackling some of the biggest unanswered questions in physics that drew him back. It was also a rare opportunity to help build world-class instruments that could eventually answer them.

For Mei, the appeal was the chance to participate in every stage of a major scientific project — from designing instruments and overseeing construction to eventually analyzing data.

"Young scientists rarely get the opportunity to experience the entire life cycle of a project, from its conception to scientific discoveries," Mei told China Daily. "That was one of the biggest reasons I came back."

His decision reflects a broader shift reshaping China's research landscape as Beijing has stepped up investment in long-term basic research, betting that breakthroughs in fundamental science will underpin future technological leadership.

Shanghai has become one of the focal points of that effort. The city has sharply increased spending on basic research in recent years as it seeks to strengthen its long-term scientific capabilities.

Basic research accounted for about 12 percent of Shanghai's total research and development spending in 2025, up from 7.9 percent in 2020, while government spending on basic research more than tripled over the same period. Shanghai researchers published 180 papers in Science, Nature and Cell in 2025, accounting for nearly one-third of China's total output in the three journals.

For Zhang Jie, director of the TDLI and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the changes have created what he calls "the best era" for basic science in China.

"The scientific blueprint we are pursuing simply would not have been possible without today's China," Zhang said in an interview.

He said the transformation goes beyond larger research budgets. China is now more willing to invest in scientific infrastructure that may take a decade or longer to produce results, giving researchers opportunities that were once available primarily in Europe and the United States.

Proposed by Nobel laureate Tsung-Dao Lee and established at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2016, the TDLI focuses on two of physics' biggest challenges: understanding the origin and evolution of matter under extreme cosmic conditions, and realizing fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Rather than relying on individual laboratories pursuing separate projects, the institute brings together astronomers, particle physicists and condensed matter physicists around shared scientific goals, supported by dedicated large-scale research facilities.

This collaborative model has produced an ambitious network of projects across China. In Sichuan province, researchers are building what they say will be the world's most sensitive liquid xenon detector to search for dark matter deep beneath a mountain. Off the coast of Hainan province, scientists are constructing what they say will be the world's first near-equatorial deep-sea neutrino telescope. Other facilities include a high-altitude observatory in Qinghai province and a laboratory astrophysics platform in Shanghai designed to recreate extreme cosmic conditions.

Zhang believes such infrastructure enables Chinese scientists to compete at the frontiers of international physics.

More importantly, he said, the institute is helping reshape scientific culture. By evaluating tenure-track researchers over a six-year period rather than relying on short-term publication targets, the TDLI encourages long-term intellectual risk-taking.

"Fundamental research cannot be rushed," Zhang said. "Many of the most important discoveries require long-term commitment."

The influx of talent is further strengthening that momentum. The institute now employs more than 150 researchers from 16 countries and regions, with international scholars accounting for nearly 40 percent of its research staff.

"The students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career researchers we work with today are becoming stronger every year," he said. "Working here increasingly feels like working alongside outstanding colleagues at the world's leading research institutions.

"Being able to build a world-class experiment from scratch, step by step, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he added.

For Zhang, success will ultimately be measured not only by scientific papers or new facilities, but also by whether China can establish itself as a global center for fundamental science.

By 2035, he hopes the institute will produce Nobel Prize-worthy discoveries and help foster what he calls a "Shanghai school" of basic science — one that will make enduring contributions to humanity's understanding of the universe.

Contact the writers at lijing@chinadaily.com.cn