China follows the US in testing a brain implant that allows you to control a computer with the power of thought

The first clinical trials of technology that allows brain signals to control an external device have been successful in China.

As Bloomberg reports, citing the communist publication Global Times, the tests make China the second country after the United States to reach this stage.

It is noted that in March 2025, Chinese scientists implanted a wireless invasive BCI system (a system that allows people to control external devices using only their thoughts) into a patient with tetraplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) using minimally invasive surgery.

Read also: Paradromics successfully implanted its brain chip into a human

The Shanghai Center of Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology (CEBSIT) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that after several weeks of post-operative training, the patient was able to control racing games, chess and other programs with his mind.

BCI is a new technology that helps restore functionality to people with paralysis. The Neuralink project, founded by Elon Musk, is a leader in researching this technology.

In the next stage, as the publication notes, Chinese researchers plan to enable the patient to control the robotic arm — this involves using the power of thought to perform more complex physical actions, such as grabbing a cup.

The Shanghai center has already begun trials in collaboration with Fudan University’s Huashan Hospital. Bloomberg noted that Beijing has reported some experiments with the implants by startups in recent months, but the clinical trials show that China is in a tight race with the United States to develop this cutting-edge technology. The center also said that the BCI system could receive government approval and hit the market as early as 2028.

Recall that recently, the American startup Precision Neuroscience received FDA approval for a less invasive brain implant than Elon Musk's Neuralink. Precision Neuroscience was founded in 2021 by Michael Meagher and neurosurgeon Benjamin Rapoport, who previously helped create Neuralink. Unlike Neuralink's chip-shaped implant with "threads", the Precision pad can be installed and removed without residual brain damage.

Elon Musk's startup Neuralink has attracted $650 million in investment