China News: China spent more than 3.92 trillion yuan (about US$568 billion) on research and development in 2025, and its institutions now top the Nature Index of high-quality research. A feature published by the journal Nature on 14 October 2026 describes the result as one of the fastest scientific rises in modern history, and asks what it will mean for the rest of the world.
Key facts
- R&D spending 2025: over 3.92 trillion yuan, an R&D intensity of 2.8%, according to Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun.
- Basic research: 7.08% of total R&D, nearly 280 billion yuan, the first time the share passed 7%.
- Nature Index 2026: China leads the global ranking. Its output grew 22.4% from 2024 to 2025.
- Top institutions: the Chinese Academy of Sciences ranks first and Zhejiang University second. Nine of the global top ten are Chinese.
- Target: total R&D spending to rise by at least 7% a year through 2030.
How fast has China’s science grown?
The starting point was low. In 1978, Chinese researchers published fewer than 120 articles in international journals, about 0.02% of the world total, according to Scopus data cited by Nature.
Over the past three decades, overall R&D spending rose roughly 100-fold. In the last ten years it grew by more than 10% a year on average. In 2024, measured at purchasing power parity, China overtook the United States as the largest R&D spender in the world, based on OECD data. At market exchange rates its budget was still about half of the US figure, but that ratio stood at 8% in 2004.
Output followed money. China passed the United States in 2023 as the top country for papers in the journals tracked by the Nature Index. In the 2026 Research Leaders tables, based on 2025 data, it was the only top-ten country with double-digit growth. Simon Baker, the index’s chief editor, spoke of “extremely strong performance from China”.
Where is the money going?
Beijing is now shifting weight toward fundamental research. In April 2026, President Xi Jinping asked regional governments, universities and institutes to put basic research high on their agendas. The new five-year plan names artificial intelligence, quantum applications and controlled nuclear fusion as frontier priorities for the end of the decade.
Several sectors show the strategy at work:
- Semiconductors: the third round of the state-backed chip fund, launched in 2024, is expected to allocate 344 billion yuan.
- AI: Hangzhou-based DeepSeek released a large language model in early 2025 that matched leading US tools at a fraction of the cost.
- Space: the Tiangong station has been complete since 2022, China was first to land a rover on the far side of the Moon, and it plans a crewed lunar landing by 2030 and a Mars sample mission launching in 2028.
What still holds Chinese science back?
The Nature feature is not a victory lap. Fundamental research remains a smaller slice of the budget than in the US (14.4%), Japan (11.6%) or South Korea (14.7%). The 8% goal in the previous five-year plan was missed.
Researchers interviewed by the journal also point to an evaluation system that rewards paper counts and national grants, which can discourage slow, curiosity-driven work. Research integrity is another sore point: between 2014 and 2024, nearly 60% of retracted papers had at least one China-affiliated author.
Chinese policymakers know this. The emphasis on basic research is partly a response to it.
Why it matters for BRICS partners
For the rest of the bloc, China’s science base is becoming a resource as much as a competitor. Joint laboratories, satellite data sharing and training programmes are the practical side of BRICS science cooperation. With US research budgets under pressure in Washington, as the Nature feature notes, more scientists from Brazil, South Africa, Egypt or Indonesia are likely to look east for partnerships. The next marker comes in March 2027, when the 2026 spending figures are expected during the annual session of the National People’s Congress, as happened this year.
FAQ
How much did China spend on R&D in 2025?
More than 3.92 trillion yuan, about US$568 billion, with 7.08% going to basic research.
Does China lead the Nature Index?
Yes. China tops the 2026 Research Leaders ranking, and nine of the ten leading institutions are Chinese.
What are China’s next science goals?
Faster progress in AI, quantum technology and nuclear fusion by 2030, at least 7% annual growth in R&D spending, and a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
Sources: Nature; Research Information; CGTN.
