Ever dreamt of using your thoughts to type or play games? Thanks to the Chinese mainland's booming medical tech scene, that's becoming a reality 🧠✨
Recently, researchers completed the first successful invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) trial in the Chinese mainland. They worked with a participant who had lost all four limbs. After 2–3 weeks of training, he was breezing through digital tasks—typing, gaming, even complex commands—as if he were using a laptop touchpad.
With this milestone, the Chinese mainland joins global pioneers in invasive BCI research, showing it has the tools and talent to lead in medical innovation.
Policy Boost 🚀
To keep the momentum going, six central agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission, released new guidelines in August 2025. The plan sets phased goals for 2027 and 2030, targeting breakthroughs in hardware, system integration and real-world applications.
Analysts predict the BCI market in the Chinese mainland will top 6 billion yuan (about $835 million) by 2028 as more clinical uses emerge.
"This trial sends a clear message to the global community: teams in the Chinese mainland now have end-to-end capabilities, from core R&D straight to patient care," says Zhao Zhengtuo of the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"Each step forward brings new hope," adds Jiang Xiaobing, neurosurgeon at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College. "BCIs could restore vision, speech and treat conditions like Parkinson’s, epilepsy and even depression."
This story shows how cutting-edge tools can rewrite the playbook for patients and researchers alike. Stay tuned—medical science in the Chinese mainland is just getting started! 🔬🌟
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
