France's Le Monde: China is moving towards a new superpower in science and technology

China is accelerating its rise as a major global scientific power and hopes to take the lead in almost all fields of scientific research.

France's Le Monde stated on Tuesday that China is accelerating its rise as a major global scientific power and hopes to take the lead in almost all fields of scientific research. The 500-meter large spherical radio telescope "Sky Eye" (FAST), located among the mountains of Guizhou, is a symbol of China's technological leap.

The "Sky Eye" is one of the largest radio telescopes in the world, and its completion has enabled a leap forward in China's astronomical research. In the past, Chinese scientists often needed to use data from foreign telescopes, but after the "Sky Eye" was put into operation, China has discovered more than a thousand pulsars and made breakthroughs in frontier areas such as gravitational wave research.

The Rise of China's Scientific Strength

Le Monde wrote that with the continuous growth of research investment, China's influence in the international academic community has rapidly expanded. Several global university rankings show that Chinese universities have taken an important position in research output and paper impact. In the 2025 ranking published by Leiden University in the Netherlands, several Chinese universities entered the top ten globally, while the research index of Nature magazine also ranked the Chinese Academy of Sciences as the number one research institution in the world. At the same time, in the field of applied sciences, the number of papers from China has exceeded half of the global total, reflecting the strong industrial base supporting technological development.

Le Monde also wrote that in recent years, China has made continuous breakthroughs in fields such as aerospace, materials science, and energy technology. From the Mars rover "Zhurong" landing on Mars, to the completed operation of the space station "Tiangong," and the commissioning of advanced nuclear reactors and deep-sea research ships, these achievements demonstrate the rapid improvement of China's technological strength. At the same time, Chinese companies are also accelerating innovation in fields such as battery technology, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence, and are promoting technological upgrades through a large number of patent applications.

How Did China's Scientific Strength Rise?

Le Monde stated that the rise of China's scientific strength is closely related to the government's long-term strategy. Since the 1990s, China has continuously promoted higher education reforms and launched the "Double First-Class" plan in 2015, focusing on building world-class universities and disciplines. At the same time, with economic development and the expansion of the middle class, more and more students are entering engineering and science fields, and intense competition is constantly improving the overall level of research talents.

The enhancement of China's research capabilities is also closely related to the return of talents. Over the past few decades, a large number of Chinese students went to study in Europe and the United States and entered local research institutions. Now, with the increasing research platforms and funding investment in China, more and more Chinese scientists who once worked in Europe and the United States are choosing to return to China for development.

Chemist Sun Licheng (音) is one of them. He worked at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden for many years. In 2020, he returned to China and established a research team at the newly founded West Lake University in Hangzhou, dedicated to research on artificial photosynthesis and hydrogen energy technology.

In Sun Licheng's view, the research environment in China has changed significantly over the past decade. In the past, researchers often focused more on the quantity of papers; now, research evaluation is gradually shifting toward quality and innovation. He said, "The key to China's scientific progress lies in effort and talent."

The growing research investment in China has also led some international scholars to begin collaborating with Chinese institutions. Belgian renowned neuroscientist Steven Laureys has jointly established a laboratory on consciousness disorders with Chinese research teams. He believes that China's large population means it can access more clinical research samples, and Chinese universities have also invested rapidly in research equipment.

China's Shortcomings

However, Le Monde also pointed out that despite this, China still has gaps in certain areas, especially in the medical field. The overall level of medical research in China is still relatively backward. One reason is that in China, the medical system bears a heavy burden, and doctors spend a lot of time on clinical work, making it difficult to invest a lot of time in research. However, with the increase in funding investment and the continuous input of talents, as well as the improvement of new drug development capabilities, this gap is gradually narrowing.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859322146800652/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.