Not Exactly

The Associated Press gets this wrong right from the headline: "China carries out test of fusion reactor". No, they did not. They made a successful test of a Tokamak device and created plasma. This is fusion research, but it is certainly not fusion. Nor is the Tokamak a "fusion reactor".

BEIJING - Scientists on Thursday carried out China's first successful test of an experimental fusion reactor, powered by the process that fuels the sun, a research institute spokeswoman said.

China, the United States and other governments are pursuing fusion research in hopes that it could become a clean, potentially limitless energy source. Fusion produces little radioactive waste, unlike fission, which powers conventional nuclear reactors.

Beijing is eager for advances, both for national prestige and to reduce its soaring consumption of imported oil and dirty coal.

The test by the government's Institute of Plasma Physics was carried out on a Tokamak fusion device in the eastern city of Hefei, said Cheng Yan, a spokeswoman at the institute.

Cheng said the test was considered a success because the reactor produced plasma, a hot cloud of supercharged particles. She wouldn't give other details.

They are contributing to the field of study, that's a good thing. It is indicative of the low level of expertise in the AP that they call this a "fusion reactor". Here is what a Tokamak is. Incidentally, I remember reading something a while ago that discussed the engineering difficulties of any practical fusion reactor. The biggest challenge is going to be the sheer volume of fast neutron radiation that would be produced. That's another discussion, however. The research is not far enough advanced to start engineering yet.