A Better Newspaper

## Overview Chinese state media reported that the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, which "once dominated" the field of superconducting magnets, sought to purchase Chinese-made superconducting magnet technology used in a leading particle accelerator (SCMP, August 12). According to Science and Technology Daily, Brookhaven contacted China's Institute of High Energy Physics in May last year hoping to buy the Chinese-made combined superconducting magnet, which reportedly outperforms American versions by 40% (SCMP, August 12). ## Strategic Significance This episode is being used by Chinese state media as evidence of a reversal in the traditional US-China technology hierarchy, particularly in high-end scientific and dual-use materials research. Superconducting magnets have applications spanning particle physics, medical imaging (MRI), fusion energy, and potentially military and quantum computing technologies, making this a notable data point in the broader US-China technology competition narrative. ## Things to Watch - US government or Brookhaven's official response to the reported purchase request - Whether export controls or technology transfer restrictions affect this specific technology - Broader Chinese state media narrative around US reliance on Chinese advanced materials - Implications for global supply chains in specialized scientific/industrial magnets