Between cutting-edge research and responsibility
How the Max Planck Society cooperates with China
Within just a few decades, China has developed into one of the world’s leading scientific nations. In numerous fields of the future – from astrophysics and artificial intelligence to biotechnology – China is now one of the key players in international research. For the Max Planck Society, too, China has long been more than just another international partner: in some disciplines, the collaboration provides access to research facilities and data that are unique worldwide. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, research fields with potential military applications and the question of what role the respective partner institution in China plays make cooperation more complicated – and require a careful weighing up of benefits and risks. For the Max Planck Society, therefore, the question is not whether it cooperates with China – but how.
The world’s largest radio telescope stands in a karst landscape in south-west China. Its name: FAST (Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope). With a diameter of 500 metres, it listens for signals from space that would be almost impossible to detect elsewhere. For Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, the facility has become indispensable for his research. Together with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), his team is searching for pulsars – extremely dense stars whose radio pulses are as precise as the ticking of a clock. “In my field of research, sensitivity is paramount.” And this is despite the fact that the MPI itself has a top-class facility: at 100 metres, the Effelsberg radio telescope is one of the two largest movable radio telescopes in the world. However, FAST in China is ten times more sensitive and also suffers significantly less from man-made interference than the telescope in the Eifel. “Our Chinese colleagues and we have realised that we both stand to benefit if we combine the strengths of our telescopes.” Whilst the FAST telescope has already detected hundreds of new pulsars across the entire sky, Effelsberg is immediately ready to quickly point at specific examples and examine them in greater detail. The advantage here is flexibility combined with a still considerable collecting area.
This collaboration is an example of how there are already fields of research today in which cutting-edge research is virtually impossible without China. At the same time, the political climate has become more tense. “Our colleagues in China and we are aware of the tense political situation. Our data is rarely sensitive, but when it is, we naturally have to be very careful. Our research collaboration works so well precisely because we deal with the situation openly and transparently on both sides and do not sugar-coat anything,” says Michael Kramer.
Radio astronomy is just one of many fields in which China now plays a key role. The country’s development over the past two decades explains how this came about.
From the world’s workshop to a leading scientific nation
Over the past two decades, China has massively expanded its universities, research organisations and large-scale research facilities. Today, institutions such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University and the University of Science and Technology of China are among the world’s leading institutions in many disciplines. Added to this is the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with more than 100 institutes – the country’s largest research organisation and one of the strongest players in the international scientific community. The number of young researchers also illustrates just how rapidly the country has changed: in 2020, around 3.6 million students in China graduated with degrees in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences or engineering – compared to 820,000 in the US in the same year.
China’s rise is also evident in international rankings: in the Nature Index 2025, eight of the world’s top ten research institutions are based in China. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2026, five Chinese universities feature among the world’s top 40. Alongside traditional indicators such as publication numbers, other criteria reflect China’s growing scientific prowess: The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Critical Technology Tracker now ranks China at the forefront in numerous key technologies in its 2025 assessment – from artificial intelligence and quantum technologies to space exploration. In eight of the ten technology fields newly included by the Tracker in 2025, China is well ahead of all other countries in terms of its global share of particularly influential research papers.
An analysis of nearly six million research papers, published in October 2025 in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ (PNAS), also shows that Chinese researchers are no longer merely participating in international collaborations but are increasingly leading them: In joint studies with US scientists, the proportion of Chinese lead authors had already reached 45 per cent by 2023 – up from 30 per cent in 2010
China is thus no longer merely an important research hub and a significant collaborative partner. Today, the country is among the key players increasingly helping to determine which topics, technologies and research infrastructures will shape the science of the future.
Why China is important to the Max Planck Society
China is currently the Max Planck Society’s fourth most important cooperation partner – after the USA, the UK and France – as measured by the number of joint publications between 2019 and 2024. Cooperation is particularly close in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, physics, chemistry and materials science. Within China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is the MPG’s most important partner. The two organisations have been working together for more than 50 years. This means that the MPG plays a pioneering role within the German scientific community. This is also reflected in the number of joint publications: over the past five years, researchers from the MPG and the CAS have published more than 3,700 joint publications.
Access to large research infrastructures unique in the world
What makes this collaboration so attractive to many researchers is not just joint projects or co-publications. In recent years, China has invested heavily in large-scale research infrastructures – from radio telescopes and particle accelerators to supercomputers and highly automated laboratory platforms. In short, in facilities of this scale that often exist nowhere else. By the end of 2025, 65 such national large-scale research infrastructures will be in operation or under construction across the country. Almost three-quarters of these are being built or operated by CAS institutes. For the MPG, the long-standing collaboration with the CAS opens up access to these research facilities, which are unique worldwide in some fields – such as the FAST telescope for radio astronomy.
This also applies to other fields of research: in Huizhou, southern China, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics is participating in the new High Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF), where heavy atomic nuclei are to be collided from 2027 onwards. Researchers there aim to gain a better understanding of how the heaviest elements in the universe are formed – and why iron is more common than gold. The Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics is involved in high-precision measurements and has contributed to the construction of a mass spectrometer.
Two Max Planck Centres launched in spring 2026, in which the CAS is also involved, are also opening up access to new research infrastructures: The Max Planck Asia Centre MAC-AIR enables researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry to access the EarthLab in Beijing, one of the most powerful supercomputers for atmospheric and climate research. There, atmospheric chemistry data is collected using, among other things, the 325-metre-high Tall Tower Observatory in Beijing and combined with model calculations on EarthLab’s supercomputer infrastructure. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how air pollution, the monsoon and extreme weather are linked. At the Max Planck-CAS Centre for Synthetic Biochemistry, meanwhile, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology have access to the Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Infrastructure. Here, microorganisms can be analysed, genetically modified and tested using artificial intelligence in an automated process.
Insight: How Max Planck researchers access China's research infrastructure
HIAF: Why iron is more common than gold
The High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) is a major research facility in Huizhou, southern China, designed to accelerate heavy ions (electrically charged atomic nuclei) using superconducting magnets, guide them along a specific path, bring them into collision, and study the resulting matter. The conditions artificially created here played a role shortly after the Big Bang, when the first atomic nuclei formed in the still energetic and hot universe, or when two neutron stars collide, producing atomic nuclei with the highest numbers of neutrons and protons – including, amongst others, gold. The facility is designed to study the forces and processes at work here in greater detail, as well as isotopes that are rarely found today. Some of the key questions are: “Why is iron more common than gold?”, “How are heavy elements formed?”
The group from the MPI for Nuclear Physics is collaborating on high-precision measurements at the facility and has helped to set up a precision Penning trap mass spectrometer. At the end of 2025, the MPI for Nuclear Physics, led by Klaus Blaum, held a summer school in Huizhou to examine the new research facility in greater detail and to give young scientists an insight into China’s scientific landscape on the ground.
Einstein Probe: A new view of the extreme universe
Another example is the Einstein Probe – an X-ray telescope on a satellite orbiting the Earth, which was launched in 2024. The mission is led by the CAS and is being developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE). The Einstein Probe observes extreme and short-lived events in the universe that involve bursts of high-energy X-rays. Previous X-ray telescopes were designed either to study individual objects or to collect data over a large area of the sky over a long period of time. The Einstein Probe combines both for the first time: it can capture a large amount of X-ray light whilst simultaneously monitoring a large portion of the sky.
X-ray bursts reveal a great deal about extreme astrophysical processes, but until now, have only been detected because relevant sources were known, or highly variable sources were discovered by chance or via other observatories. With the Einstein Probe’s wide field of view, the extreme universe can be continuously monitored, X-ray bursts from normally quiet black holes can be detected, and a rapid response can be mounted when a gravitational wave detector has received a signal of two merging neutron stars – an event that has only been observed a few times to date, was also accompanied by X-ray bursts, and holds the key to understanding how matter heavier than iron is formed. For the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, these data are particularly valuable because they relate to the Institute’s core research questions.
EarthLab: A supercomputer for climate and air quality
In the field of climate and atmospheric research, too, China is providing access to infrastructure that is only available here in this form. Researchers at the Max Planck-Asia Centre MAC-AIR (Max Planck-Asia Centre for Unravelling the Nexus of Air Pollution, Extreme Weather, and Monsoon in a Warming Climate: pathways to global solutions), which launched in spring 2026, are investigating the interactions between aerosols, solar radiation and clouds in order to lay the foundations for more effective measures against air pollution and climate change, and for more reliable forecasts of extreme weather. Environmental conditions in the atmosphere are changing very rapidly in China, providing a unique opportunity to investigate how the changing composition of the atmosphere influences air quality, weather and climate.
For their studies, researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry measure atmospheric chemistry data using, among other things, the 325-metre-high Tall Tower Observatory in Beijing. In addition to measurements, they also rely on model calculations using the supercomputer infrastructure of EarthLab (Earth System Science Numerical Simulator Facility). In this way, they aim, on the one hand, to understand the mechanisms by which atmospheric chemistry affects weather and climate, and, on the other hand, to produce corresponding forecasts. In addition to the computing infrastructure, they can utilise extensive atmospheric chemistry datasets from the recent past as well as AI-supported models for meteorological forecasts.
Shenzhen: The synthetic biology hub
Launched in spring 2026, the Max Planck Society–Chinese Academy of Sciences Centre for Synthetic Biochemistry aims to harness the enormous potential of natural products derived from microorganisms for medicine, plant protection and other applications. To this end, the Centre brings together the expertise of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and the Institute of Synthetic Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenzhen. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute contribute their experience in the production of microbiological natural products, as well as in the analysis and design of metabolic pathways. Their knowledge of how microbial natural products can be produced without cells will also form an important part of the research at the new centre. The Institute of Synthetic Biology complements these capabilities with automated laboratories and data- and AI-driven methods for identifying entirely new biosynthetic pathways. The collaboration gives researchers at the Max Planck Institute access to state-of-the-art synthetic biology technologies in Shenzhen. There, they can utilise the Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Infrastructure – a research platform where biology, automation and artificial intelligence work closely together.
The Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Infrastructure enables the automated cultivation, analysis and genetic modification of microorganisms such as bacteria, algae or fungi. The laboratory facility measures the substances produced by the microorganisms, examines their structure and provides standardised data for further experiments. In so-called ‘design-build-test-learn’ cycles, researchers can develop new DNA sequences, metabolic pathways or entire production processes. Part of the infrastructure uses artificial intelligence to plan complete series of experiments, carry them out in a standardised manner and evaluate the results. On the so-called Biofoundry Platform, DNA segments, bacteria or yeasts can be produced and tested automatically. In this way, new active substances, sustainable production processes or biological materials could be developed much more quickly in the future.
Further forms of cooperation with China
In addition to the two Max Planck Centres, in which researchers work together on a specific topic for at least five years, the Max Planck Society is focusing on further long-term formats in its cooperation with China. These are designed to foster exchange between researchers, identify new topics at an early stage, and prepare young scientists for collaboration with China.
Max Planck Partner Groups
The Max Planck Partner Groups are an important tool for collaboration. In 1999, the Max Planck Society’s first Partner Group worldwide began its work in China. The programme aims to maintain contact between the Max Planck Institutes and former researchers after they have returned to their home countries. The groups are established for a period of five years and are led by researchers at an institution in China who previously worked at a Max Planck Institute. Since the late 1990s, more than 70 Max Planck Partner Groups have been established in China in this way. In 2025, there were 13 active groups, including at Peking University, Fudan University in Shanghai, Wuhan University, the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and several CAS institutes.
For the MPG, the partner groups are more than just a funding instrument for early-career researchers. They create long-term networks, maintain contact with highly qualified researchers and open up access to universities and research institutions in China. Particularly in politically difficult times, these established relationships are often crucial for continuing cooperation and initiating new joint projects. [More]
Exploratory Round Table Conferences (ERTC): Exploring the potential of new research areas together
One format through which the MPG and CAS are jointly exploring new fields of research is the “Exploratory Round Table Conferences” (ERTC). Since 2010, these have been bringing together researchers from Germany, China and other research institutions in various countries in Shanghai. The ERTCs deliberately focus on topics whose scientific potential is only just becoming apparent. Unlike traditional conferences, they are not intended merely to reflect the current state of research but to serve as a breeding ground for new topics and collaborations. Leading researchers discuss which questions might become important in the future and where joint projects would be beneficial. These discussions result in recommendations to the presidents of the MPG and the CAS.
Since 2010, the focus has included synthetic biology, quantum information, space research, personalised medicine, big data, animal behaviour and large-scale research facilities. Many of these topics have since developed into major fields of research. The most recent conference took place at the end of 2025 and addressed organoids, self-organisation and bioengineering. For the MPG, the ERTCs thus serve as a kind of compass: they help to identify scientific trends at an early stage and to establish partnerships in areas where China could play a particularly important role in the future. [More]
Getting young researchers ready for China through summer schools
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2024, the MPG and CAS organised their first joint summer schools in China in 2025. Between May and November, around 20 early-career researchers from both countries came together in Beijing and in Guangdong Province. The topics ranged from atmospheric chemistry and carbon cycles to astronomy, synthetic biology and precision physics.
The summer schools do not merely impart specialist knowledge. Many of the participants had little prior experience of China. The programmes were therefore supplemented by accompanying online seminars, which also covered the Chinese scientific landscape and the political framework. For the MPG, the summer schools are therefore more than just a programme for early-career researchers. They are intended to help young researchers build expertise on China at an early stage – and learn how scientific collaboration can succeed in a politically sensitive environment.
Strategic projects with the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Since 2018, researchers from the Max Planck Society and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have been collaborating in strategically selected priority research areas. In fields such as radio astronomy and gravitational-wave astronomy, biophysical chemistry, as well as ecology and behavioural sciences, the Max Planck Society gains privileged access to CAS infrastructure that is, in some cases, unique worldwide and of the highest standard. The result: both sides jointly advance scientific projects on an equal footing and benefit equally from them.
Collaboration with Peking University
For several years now, the Max Planck Society has been intensifying its collaboration with leading Chinese universities, whose importance as partners for the various Max Planck Institutes continues to increase. The Max Planck Society has had an agreement with Peking University since April 2019, the focus of which is on reciprocal mobility and the recruitment of young scientists.
Collaboration with Hong Kong
The purpose of the post-doctoral programme being run in collaboration with the renowned Croucher Foundation in Hong Kong is to provide outstanding young Hong Kong researchers working in the natural sciences, engineering, and medicine with the opportunity to benefit from a 2+1 year research stay at a Max Planck Institute of their choice.
How the MPG pursues a critical yet constructive approach to China
The more important China becomes for international research, the greater the focus on the risks associated with cooperation. Domestic political developments in China, the increasingly tense geopolitical situation and, above all, the close interconnection between civilian and military research present new challenges for scientific organisations in their collaborations with Chinese partners.
For the Max Planck Society, the question is not whether to cooperate with China, but how. “Especially in difficult times like these, we in the scientific community must stand together, maintain existing bridges and build new ones – without taking unnecessary risks,” said MPG President Patrick Cramer. Many global challenges – from climate change and threatened ecosystems to the transformation of industry – can only be tackled together.
The MPG Senate therefore adopted recommendations for action regarding cooperation with China in 2023. They aim to continue enabling cooperation even under changed political conditions – but on a sound footing. Cooperation is assessed through a risk-benefit analysis. Two questions are central to this: In what institutional environment does the potential partner operate? And how sensitive is the research topic? A key factor is the extent to which a university or research institution is involved in research related to the military, security or human rights. Similarly, researchers are consulted to determine whether the planned collaboration involves research areas that are particularly sensitive.
For this assessment, the MPG has developed a “China traffic light” system. It helps researchers and institutes to systematically classify the benefits and risks of a potential collaboration. The process is supported by a China Service Centre and the China Council, a scientific advisory body of the MPG. This is complemented by the cross-sectional China Roundtable, which was launched in December 2020. These expert bodies aim to assess current developments in science policy in China and to develop best practices and potential strategies for cooperation with Chinese partners.
The MPG’s approach deliberately avoids blanket bans. Instead, researchers are to be empowered to assess the opportunities and risks of their collaborations for themselves. This also involves strengthening their own expertise on China: anyone collaborating with China today needs not only scientific expertise, but also an awareness of and access to relevant knowledge regarding political developments, institutions and cultural differences. Thus, the MPG remains committed to scientific openness without ignoring the risks of collaboration with China.
China will continue to shape international science in the coming years. For the Max Planck Society, the answer to this is not less collaboration, but collaboration that is informed, responsible and strategically designed. Michael Kramer’s cooperation with his colleagues in China demonstrates how this can look in practice. Despite complex political conditions, he remains committed to the collaboration – because it enables cutting-edge research and only works if both sides deal openly with the risks. “It is our shared goal to produce the best science – and that is only possible if we combine the strengths of Germany and China,” says Kramer.
PM