China on Wednesday released reports on research hotspots and emerging frontiers in 2024 and selected 125 research frontiers that have performed actively or developed rapidly within this year.

The two reports, jointly issued by the Institutes of Science and Development, the National Science Library, both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Clarivate, seek to understand global sci-tech trends, predict future key scientific breakthroughs, and support national innovation.

The research frontiers cover fields such as agricultural science, botany and zoology, ecology and environmental science, Earth science, clinical medicine, biological science, chemistry and materials science, physics, astronomy and astrophysics, mathematics, information science, economics and psychology.

"The reports show that AI-enabled scientific research, next-generation high-performance communications, future energy, addressing climate change, and improving human health and well-being have become key areas of scientific exploration," said Pan Jiaofeng, president of the Institutes of Science and Development.