{
  "id": 76129,
  "title": "How a Xinjiang weed could reduce China’s reliance on Southeast Asian rubber",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/how-a-xinjiang-weed-could-reduce-chinas-reliance-on-southeast-asian",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-03T08:00:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3362764/how-xinjiang-weed-could-reduce-chinas-reliance-southeast-asian-rubber"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Chinese scientists have discovered that a common weed found in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region can be turned into natural rubber, offering a potential solution to the country's heavy reliance on imported rubber. Known as the rubber dandelion or Taraxacum kok-saghyz, this weed produces a milky fluid when its root is broken, which is natural rubber. In a recent test, researchers harvested one tonne of dried roots from a 20-mu (about 1.3-hectare) test field and extracted 40kg (88lbs) of natural rubber. While this amount may seem modest, its strategic importance is significant as natural rubber is essential for various products including tyres, cables, gloves, and more. China, being the world's biggest rubber consumer, uses around 7 million tonnes annually, with domestic production covering less than 20% of this demand. The rubber dandelion could help alleviate this dependency, as it can be sown, harvested, and processed within the same year and is well-suited to Xinjiang's dry, saline, alkaline, and cool environment.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "How a Xinjiang weed could reduce China’s reliance on Southeast Asian rubber",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/how-a-xinjiang-weed-could-reduce-chinas-reliance-on-southeast-asian-76866",
        "published": "2026-08-03T08:00:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}