Beijing is putting a reported $1.5 billion annually toward the effort while U.S. federal dollars for fusion have averaged about $800 million annually the last few years, according to the Energy Department's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences.
President Donald Trump ramped up support for nuclear, including fusion, during his first term, and that continued under former President Joe Biden. It's unclear what fusion funding will look like in Trump's second term, amid massive federal downsizing.
U.S. senators and fusion experts published a report in February calling for $10 billion of federal funds to help keep the U.S. from losing its lead.