China is building a giant laser complex: the energy of the future or a threat to security?

 

Satellite images taken in January-February 2025 confirmed that China is building a large-scale laser fusion research center in the city of Mianyang in the southwest of the country.  According to experts, this facility may become the largest in the world, surpassing the capacity of the American National Ignition Facility (NIF).  

What is known about the project?  

The complex in Mianyang is designed for experiments with laser thermonuclear fusion, a technology that simulates the processes occurring in the core of the Sun to generate energy. According to Reuters, Chinese engineers have already installed equipment capable of creating the extreme pressure and temperature needed for fusion.  Compared to NIF, the Chinese equivalent can be 50% larger, which will increase energy output.  

Dual purpose: energy vs. weapon  

Although the project is officially positioned as a step towards the "clean energy of the future," its potential raises questions. Laser installations of this class can be used not only for energy, but also for the development of compact nuclear warheads.  According to CNN, the high power of the complex allows compressing materials for thermonuclear reactions, which is critically important for both energy and military technologies.  

U.S. reaction and global consequences  

American analysts are closely monitoring the development of events. According to Reuters, the Pentagon views the project as a challenge for technological leadership and national security.  The dual—use issue of the facility increases tensions: on the one hand, it is a step towards solving the energy crisis, on the other - the risk of an escalation of the arms race.   

Prospects and risks

If the tests in Mianyang are successful, China can gain access to an almost inexhaustible source of energy. However, at the same time, this will strengthen its position in the nuclear sphere, which may provoke new discussions on arms control.  So far, experts disagree: some see the project as a scientific breakthrough, while others see it as a threat to global stability.