US–China Nuclear Fusion Race: The Battle for Energy and Military Dominance

China's HL-2M nuclear fusion device, known as the new generation of "artificial sun," is displayed at a research laboratory in Chengdu, eastern Sichuan Province, China, on Dec. 4, 2020. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

The United States and China are locked in a high-stakes race to build the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant, a competition that could shape the future of energy in the 21st century—and potentially equip the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with the most advanced weapons ever imagined.

A fusion reactor is a device designed to generate energy by replicating the same nuclear process that powers the sun—fusing light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen, under extreme heat and pressure. Unlike nuclear fission, which splits atoms to release energy, fusion produces no greenhouse gases and generates far more power with minimal long-term radioactive waste.

The potential of fusion energy is revolutionary; it could provide virtually limitless, carbon-free power and reshape global energy markets. Fusion, often called the “holy grail” of clean energy, produces immense power without greenhouse gas emissions or long-term radioactive waste, potentially becoming a $1 trillion market by 2050.

The United States first harnessed fusion in a 1952 hydrogen bomb test, but controlling plasma for power generation has remained a challenge. While private U.S. investment in fusion startups has surged past $8 billion—backed by major companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta—China dominates in public funding and reactor construction. Beijing invests about $1.5 billion annually in fusion, more than any other nation, and nearly double U.S. federal spending, according to the U.S. Energy Department’s office of fusion energy sciences.

China has taken the lead in fusion-related patents, produces 10 times as many PhD graduates in fusion science as the United States, and is aggressively securing critical materials such as superconducting magnets, specialized metals, and semiconductors. China’s aggressive approach includes rapid reactor construction and experimental designs that may not be viable under U.S. regulations.

Satellite images from Planet Labs reveal China’s construction of a massive laser-fusion site in 2024. Set in the Mianyana mountains, in southwestern China, the facility features a containment dome twice the size of the U.S. National Ignition Facility. Experts suggest this could be a fusion-fission hybrid, a model more feasible under China’s state-controlled system.

The nation that first achieves commercial-scale fusion will control a critical pillar of the global economy. U.S. senators and fusion experts are calling for a $10 billion federal investment to maintain leadership, but with government downsizing under Trump’s second term, future funding remains uncertain. If China wins the fusion race, it could dominate the future energy market, much as it has with solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and rare earth minerals.

Beyond the economic implications, fusion energy development carries significant geopolitical and national security implications. Control over fusion technology would give the CCP immense diplomatic leverage, allowing it to dictate terms to energy-dependent nations, just as it currently does with its near-monopoly on rare earth minerals.

A breakthrough in fusion could also power future military infrastructure, including naval vessels, space-based systems, and directed energy weapons. The ability to generate unlimited energy on-site would revolutionize military logistics, making bases, aircraft carriers, and even space stations self-sufficient without the need for vulnerable supply chains.

China’s development of fusion-fission hybrid reactors raises concerns about new nuclear capabilities, as these systems could blur the lines between civilian energy production and military applications. While fusion itself is not classified as weapons technology under existing treaties, hybrid reactors could circumvent non-proliferation agreements.

Beijing could integrate fusion technology into key military advancements where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is already making significant progress, including pure fusion weapons, enhanced thermonuclear warheads, directed energy weapons, advanced naval propulsion, space-based systems, neutron bombs, electromagnetic pulse weapons, hypersonic technology, and undersea warfare capabilities.

Fourth-generation nuclear weapons, including pure fusion weapons, represent a major shift in nuclear technology. Unlike traditional nuclear weapons that rely on fission or fission-triggered thermonuclear reactions, these advanced weapons use alternative nuclear processes that do not fall under existing arms control treaties, such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

Unlike conventional thermonuclear bombs that rely on an atomic explosion to ignite fusion, these weapons do not require a fission trigger. Instead, they could achieve controlled fusion through high-powered lasers or magnetic confinement, reducing radioactive fallout. This makes pure fusion weapons both militarily viable and politically acceptable, as they produce intense neutron radiation with minimal blast effects, enabling precise tactical strikes with limited collateral damage.

Additionally, these weapons boast higher energy efficiency, transferring more energy directly to the target and making them significantly more destructive for their size. Their ability to concentrate neutron radiation while minimizing traditional nuclear blast damage could revolutionize modern warfare. At the same time, China is working to dominate the fusion materials supply chain—controlling critical components for reactors, superconductors, and advanced energy weapons—giving the PLA a significant asymmetric advantage.

China’s lead in fusion has far-reaching implications beyond economics and energy security, presenting serious national defense risks. If the Chinese regime masters fusion technology first, it could leverage its energy dominance to reshape global politics while enhancing the PLA’s combat capabilities and challenging U.S. military dominance.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.