China’s thorium reactor is so important because it serves as an opportunity for the United States to move into the thorium space and increase both its soft power and global influence.
In April 2024, scientists from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced that they, for the first time, refueled a thorium nuclear reactor while keeping it operating. Although this might not have reached the headlines, it marks a significant development in the future of atomic energy. In addition to its interesting electrical output, this molten-salt reactor (MSR) located in the Gobi Desert brings the PRC closer to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. It also consolidates the country’s strong emphasis on renewable energy sources.
However, because the thorium fuel cycle (TFC) poses non-negligible risks of proliferation, the international community and the United States should engage the PRC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and other relevant actors to define better which aspects of the TFC should be addressed, monitored, or even safeguarded. Furthermore, the PRC regularly presents itself as the advocate of the “Global South” and the defender of countries’ right to development and technology. Pressure should be applied on the PRC to turn words into actions and share some aspects of the recent breakthrough. Regardless, by (re)investing in the TFC, the United States has an excellent opportunity to keep its leading position as a net total energy exporter since 2019.
(Re)discovering Thorium
The TFC is not a new technology and originates in the United States. Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory first developed a test reactor, which, in 1968, was the first reactor to run on Uranium-233. Theoretical work also started in China around these years, but the project for further development was abandoned in the United States in favor of uranium-based reactors. As of today, next to the United States and China, countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Russia, France, and India are also testing and developing MSRs.
Benefits and Challenges
The renewed attention about the TFC has several reasons: while the extraction of monazite (the rare earth phosphate mineral from which thorium can be extracted) can be challenging and expensive, it is estimated that thorium is around three times more abundant than uranium on Earth. Safety and efficiency are two additional benefits: MSRs need low operating pressures, thereby strongly reducing the risks of accidents. They also run on higher temperatures (which increases efficiency in generating electricity) and produce less waste.
There are, nevertheless, disadvantages with the current TFC. Because thorium is a by-product of monazite, its extraction costs are still too high (though they will decrease with increased demand and thanks to economies of scale). The state of research and its commercial sustainability is still insufficient, even if some private firms are already in the market. Finally, the TFC bears the risk of nuclear proliferation: even if the uranium-233 created during the process is not ideal for nuclear weapons, it is nevertheless possible to use it for this goal.
Boosting the TFC in the United States
Three years ago, Senator Thommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced the “Thorium Energy Security Act of 2022,” which was unfortunately abandoned. The act aimed to promote the development of MSRs in the United States and made some highly relevant arguments. Now, in 2025, these arguments have only strengthened.
Firstly, the United States already has the knowledge and the infrastructure required to have thorium reactors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory was the “hub” for research and development in this area, and boosting research (again) from there would be a better investment than starting with a new technology. The United States also has a considerable amount of domestic thorium reserves, and the bill already mentions the risks associated with the current political situation in the Russian Federation, the primary source of low-enriched uranium.
A second argument involves the economic competition between the United States and the PRC. The bill argues that MSR research and development is “consistent with section 1261 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which declared long-term strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China as ’a principal priority for the United States.’”
While the PRC might be slightly ahead (for now), the United States can position itself as a leader again in this area by promoting and supporting reactor design, supply, extraction, and safety standards, especially for the Global South. From a long-term perspective, the United States can effectively shape the norms and steer the direction of this technology, reinforcing its position and thus weakening the PRC.
What would also undermine the PRC’s position is the United States’ decision to proactively address the issues of potential proliferation, which would be consistent with President Trump’s goals of denuclearization talks with the Russian Federation and the PRC.
Finally, boosting the TFC in the United States would also be consistent with one of President Trump’s executive orders, which aims to modernize the workforce and prepare it for future, high-skilled jobs. While some firms are already developing MSRs in the United States, the TFC can further boost the development of apprenticeships and the training of construction workers. Both aspects are mentioned in the executive order and will probably be in high demand from the TFC sector.
The Hare and the Tortoise
During their announcement about the PRC’s MSR, the Chinese scientists speaking stated, “Rabbits sometimes make mistakes or grow lazy. That’s when the tortoise seizes its chance”. While rabbits can be admittedly inconsistent and overconfident, they are also energetic and adaptable: precisely what the United States’ markets, workforce, and political system are.
By successfully reinvesting in the TFC, shaping its development and norms, and addressing the PRC about proliferation risks, the United States can consolidate its soft power, boost its education system, and seize future commercial opportunities. It will also be uniquely positioned to win the race and put forward some of the tortoise’s negative traits: inflexibility and limited awareness.
About the Author: Roc Iore
Roc Iore is a graduate student at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University studying international affairs, with a concentration in international security. Before coming to Washington, Roc was a career officer in the Swiss Army for ten years and worked at the Federal Office for Defense Procurement. He holds a B.A. in Public Policy from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
Image: Shutterstock/Ole.CNX
