19 February 2026

Hefei’s Fusion Sector Drives New Approach to Development

Shijie Wang

On October 18, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the city of Hefei, where he encouraged officials to pursue a new framework for the research and development of nuclear fusion. He called for a “deep integration of innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains” (创新链、产业链、资金链、人才链深度融合), a policy that has since been abbreviated as the “four chains integration” (四链融合). Xi described the framework as a “critical deployment” (重要部署) for the “accelerated implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy” (加快实施创新驱动发展战略), and said that it serves as a tangible manifestation of the so-called “advantages of the new-type whole-of-nation system” (新型举国体制优势) (CCP Members Net, October 16, 2022; CCTV, October 19, 2024). [1] Xi had made similar calls in the past, and this specific model, which involves leveraging social financing (via local government financing vehicles) to drive innovation, was standardized as a national initiative by the Party in October 2022 (Shaanxi Provincial Government News Bureau, December 12, 2024). But until now, take-up has been slow. [2]

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