Translated from the People's Daily Client;
Recently, the "2025 China Science and Technology Paper Statistical Report" released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Information stated that the number of hot papers in China accounted for more than half of the world's total for the first time, reaching 53.2%, maintaining the first place in the world.
Hot papers refer to papers published within the last two years that have received a large number of citations during the statistical period and are among the top 1‰ in their discipline. According to the report, as of August 2025, China had 2,342 hot papers, an increase of 4.6% compared to the statistics in 2024.
Papers are an important indicator for measuring the level of scientific and technological innovation. The continuous leading position of China's hot paper numbers indicates that China's scientific research is widely concerned and recognized by the global science community, and the international influence of China's scientific and technological innovation is constantly increasing.
Additionally, according to the report, in 2024, China continued to carry out high-quality open cooperation. The number of international co-authored papers published by China reached 172,900, an increase of 14.4% compared to 2023. At the same time, the proportion of international co-authored papers led by China among high-cited papers was close to one-third. This indicates that the ability of Chinese scientists to conduct international cooperation on an equal basis is continuously improving.
The achievements did not come about overnight, reflecting the effectiveness of the deepening of China's science and technology system reform. The shift from "emphasizing quantity" to "emphasizing quality" in papers is the result of long-term efforts to eliminate negative tendencies such as "only papers, only titles, only degrees, and only awards." It also reflects the further release of the innovative and creative vitality of scientific researchers.
The outstanding performance of high-quality papers in China demonstrates the profound accumulation and innovation capabilities of Chinese research teams in the field of basic scientific research, which is also inseparable from factors such as scientific research investment and talent development.
Basic research is the foundation and cornerstone of scientific and technological innovation. In the past five years, China's basic research funding reached 249.7 billion yuan, an increase of more than 70% compared to 2020. A batch of major original achievements were made in fields such as quantum technology, life sciences, material sciences, and space sciences, providing rich soil for the emergence of high-quality papers. High investment leads to high output. In 2024, the total social R&D investment exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan, an increase of 48% compared to 2020. The total number of R&D personnel ranks first in the world, providing strong support for the continuous emergence of high-quality papers.
It must also be noted that although the number of hot papers in China has significantly increased, the number of articles with high citation rates in certain disciplines is still significantly less than that of other countries, and there is still room for improvement in terms of influence. To this end, we must spare no effort to strengthen original and leading technological breakthroughs, enhance organized basic research, and continuously increase the supply of high-quality technological innovations.
While the quantity and quality of scientific research papers are both improving, we must also adhere to writing papers "on the land of the motherland," promoting more scientific and technological achievements to become products and form industries. Promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and leading the development of new quality productive forces through scientific and technological innovation, can help seize the opportunities of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, respond to the complex and changing international situation, and support high-quality development.
The next five years are a critical period for building a strong country in science and technology. The "Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" has made systematic arrangements in aspects such as strengthening original innovation and key core technology breakthroughs, and promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. In line with the goal of building a strong country in science and technology, efforts should be made to shorten the gap, continuously improve China's basic research and original innovation capabilities, and continuously produce more major original and disruptive scientific and technological achievements, which will strongly promote the construction of a strong country in science and technology.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570290908852208169/
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