'Light of Science' New Year Broadcast Highlights China's Innovation Drive

China's remarkable scientific and technological achievements took center stage in the immersive 10-hour New Year program "Light of Science" on Thursday.

The live broadcast featured popular science creator Li Yongle, who has more than 40 million online followers, and Lei Mei, a researcher from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Together, they guided a global audience on a journey across iconic national landmarks, revealing the human stories behind China's drive for innovation.

Through vivid storytelling and exclusive site visits, the program showcased the country's recent breakthroughs in basic research, original innovation, and key technological frontiers, illustrating a complete chain from research to real-world application.

Shanghai also played a prominent role in the broadcast as the city has been committed to building an influential highland for scientific and technological innovation.

Viewers were taken from the major research infrastructure clusters in Zhangjiang Science City to the forward‑looking industrial layout of the Lingang New Area, and from cutting‑edge deep‑sea exploration equipment to core aerospace technologies, experiencing Shanghai's position at the forefront of innovation.

The city's leading‑edge accomplishments in integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence were also highlighted, demonstrating its role in serving national strategic goals.

In cross‑disciplinary exchanges, experts further examined the ethical dimensions of advances in the life sciences and explored both the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid development of artificial intelligence.