【By Observer Net, Qi Qian】

The Hong Kong English media South China Morning Post published an article on November 19, stating that Fred Fintel, CEO of the journal Frontiers, believes China is surpassing the United States in research output and certain frontier fields, and the dominant position of Silicon Valley and top American universities in shaping the future of science may be ending. Frontiers is one of the world's leading academic publishers.

Fintel recently said in an interview: "According to data from Digital Science, the world's largest connected research database, Chinese researchers published 1.1 million papers in 2024, compared to 880,000 in the United States, and the gap in research output between China and the US is widening."

He mentioned that although the United States has traditionally been seen as a leader in medical research, recent publication trends show a different picture.

Data shows that in 2023, China accounted for 40% of papers in the medical field, and this increased to just over 50% in 2024. In energy research, China is already the global leader, accounting for about 35% of papers in this field and having significant influence.

"There is no doubt that China is now the leader in scientific publishing and output," Fintel said, "other indicators such as patents further indicate that China has surpassed the United States not only in quantity but also in high-quality research output."

Fintel mentioned that China's scientific rise is becoming a model for other countries, especially Vietnam. He said: "We recently met with a Vietnamese delegation, who have ambitious plans to significantly increase R&D investment and hope to replicate the achievements China has gained over the past 15 to 20 years."

Frederick Fintel interviewed by CGTN

In August 2019, the Department of Planning and Investment of Vietnam announced the draft of the Fourth Industrial Revolution National Strategy, proposing to establish five technology companies with a market value of $1 billion before 2025, and increase it to 10 by 2030.

According to the draft, by 2025, the total social investment for R&D is expected to account for 1.5% of GDP, and Vietnam will rank among the top 30 in the number of patents in priority industries in the industrial sector.

However, according to a report by VNA in January last year, Vietnamese enterprises still face many obstacles when innovating. The report pointed out that in 2023, the proportion of R&D investment in Vietnam's GDP was only 0.43%, far lower than China and its Southeast Asian neighbors. 75% of the surveyed enterprises stated that due to not fully understanding the role of open innovation, their motivation for innovation was unclear.

A laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese media

The report states that China's influence is also evident in key future technology areas.

As a partner of the World Economic Forum, the journal Frontiers uses its publication data to help select the top ten emerging technologies for 2025, including artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology, and engineered living therapies, which will become critical in the next five to ten years. China has made significant contributions in three technologies: green nitrogen fixation, next-generation nuclear energy, and generative watermarking technology.

Fintel gave examples, saying that Professor Li Hailong and Yang Zequn from Central South University have provided a cleaner path for global agriculture through green nitrogen fixation research; Professor Tian Wenxi from Xi'an Jiaotong University has advanced nuclear technology and reshaped the role of atomic energy in a low-carbon future.

The South China Morning Post also mentioned that China has invested heavily in generative watermarking technology, embedding invisible markers in AI content to trace sources and enhance digital trust in AI systems.

In recent years, more and more Chinese universities and publishers have launched their own journals and platforms, and Fintel described this process as a natural evolution. He said: "The consolidation of China's status as an international scientific leader naturally leads to the construction of publishing infrastructure needed to support its growing research output, which is logical."

To maintain competitiveness, the journal Frontiers is using tools like AI to improve efficiency, including detecting academic fraud, matching reviewers, and optimizing the editing process. Fintel predicts: "Perhaps within five years, AI will drive a fundamental transformation in scientific publishing."

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