China leads high-tech research in 80% of critical fields: report (2024)

FAQs

Does China lead in 37 out of 44 critical technology sectors? ›

'Wake-Up Call': China Leads in 37 Out of 44 Critical Technology Sectors, Says Report. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has pointed out that only seven of the 44 technologies analysed by its report are currently led by a democratic country, 'and that country in all instances is the US.

TOKYO -- China leads advanced technological research in 80% of critical fields including hypersonics and underwater drones, a report from an Australian think tank shows, as the country pulls ahead of the U.S., Europe and Japan through state-led investment.

Over the past two decades, China has risen to become the world's largest producer of scientific knowledge. According to Digital Science's Dimensions database, last year there were almost 830,000 papers featuring researchers based in China, representing around 15% of the world's 5.4 million articles.

A recent study found China leading in 37 out of 44 crucial technologies based on the proportion each nation had of the most highly cited research reports.

China has a large number of AI scientific articles and patents, suggesting Beijing's global leadership in this area. However, the United States maintains a strong foothold in advanced AI developments, with organizations like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Alphabet leading in large language model creation and diffusion.

Based on the success of the Special Economic Zones of the People's Republic of China, China has created Economic and Technological Development Zones. They have the purposes of building up high-tech industries, attracting foreign investment, increasing exports, and improve the regional economy.

Japan is the most technologically advanced country, followed by the United States and South Korea. Germany and Singapore lead as the most technologically advanced countries in Europe and Asia (excluding the top three globally), respectively.

Indeed, Govini finds that in every critical technology subsegment, China has surpassed the U.S. in granted patents as of 2022. Furthermore, since 2018, China's total number of patents has been steadily increasing and is now at its highest rate.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) recently released a report titled “The Global Race for Future Power,” which delivered a striking message: Western countries are losing the global technology race, with China leading in 37 out of the 44 technology areas they are tracking, including Artificial Intelligence ...

Most Technologically Advanced Country In The World: South Korea. South Korea remains a world leader in technological advancement, again taking the top slot. Its consumer electronics giants invest heavily in research and development, while its citizens combine advanced technological skills with an innovative culture.

Is China leading in artificial intelligence? ›

"China is absolutely a world leader in AI research, and in many areas, likely the world leader," Arnold said, adding the country is active across a range of research areas, including increasingly fundamental research. The U.S. still has an edge on China in natural language processing.

For the first time, China has overtaken the United States as the number one ranked country or territory for contributions to research articles published in the Nature Index group of high-quality natural-science journals.

China ranks highest in Knowledge and technology outputs (6th). China ranks lowest in Institutions (43rd), Infrastructure (27th) and Human capital and research (22nd). The full WIPO Intellectual Property Statistics profile for China can be found on this link.

Last year's report revealed that the US was at risk of “weakness and dependence” as it falls behind China in the technology race. Similarly, the 2022 report found that the US wasn't investing enough money in AI and ML to win the technological race against China.

A Deeper Look at China's Innovation Path Needed

In terms of patent applications, however, China has overtaken the U.S. and appears to be the new global leader of innovation. A big part of this increase, though, may be driven by government subsidies in China.

China ranks highest in Knowledge and technology outputs (6th). China ranks lowest in Institutions (43rd), Infrastructure (27th) and Human capital and research (22nd). The full WIPO Intellectual Property Statistics profile for China can be found on this link.

"China is absolutely a world leader in AI research, and in many areas, likely the world leader," Arnold said, adding the country is active across a range of research areas, including increasingly fundamental research. The U.S. still has an edge on China in natural language processing.

In other words, on a proportional basis, China is now roughly 75 percent as advanced in innovation and advanced-industry production as the United States. If this relative growth continues apace, China will surpass the United States by 2035.

China is the world's largest manufacturing economy and exporter of goods.