Revolutionizing Particle Physics: The CEPC and China’s Scientific Ambitions

In recent years, China has been at the forefront of scientific advancements, and its proposed circular electron positron accelerator (CEPC) could propel the country even further into the realm of particle physics. While the construction cost of over 5 billion USD is significant, the potential for groundbreaking discoveries for decades to come makes it an investment worth considering.

Eliezer Rabinovici, a professor emeritus of physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and president of CERN, believes that Chinese scientists have the capacity to build the largest particle accelerator on Earth. The CEPC would far exceed CERN’s current Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with a circumference of 100 km.

However, controversy has surrounded the project within China’s scientific community. Physicist and Nobel laureate Yang Chen-ning has been vocal in opposition to the project, citing more pressing issues such as economic development and environmental protection. Despite this opposition, Rabinovici believes that China’s scientific potential is being underestimated and has witnessed significant progress in Chinese science during his visit in April.

The debate over whether China should build the world’s largest particle accelerator has been ongoing for nearly a decade. Wang Yifang, director of IHEP, proposed the CEPC project in 2012 following Europe’s discovery of the Higgs boson. By accelerating electrons and positrons to high energies and colliding them, the CEPC would enable scientists to make new discoveries beyond