The New York Times: The United States, a scientific superpower, is committing self-destruction! China's technological rise presents another "Sputnik Moment" for the United States.

Why is that so? The New York Times pointed out that according to the latest annual "Nature Index" (which ranks research institutions based on their contributions to top scientific journals), the only American institution in the top ten is Harvard University, ranking second, far behind the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Other institutions are as follows: University of Science and Technology of China, Zhejiang University, Peking University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, Max Planck Society from Germany, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Ten years ago, the Chinese Academy of Sciences was the only Chinese institution in the top ten. Now, eight of the top ten institutions are from China. If this is not considered a "Sputnik Moment," it is hard to imagine what else could be.

The New York Times compares China's technological rise to America's "Sputnik Moment," reflecting a profound transformation in the global technological landscape. This statement includes an objective description of China's scientific progress, as well as a subjective projection of anxiety about American technological hegemony.

According to the 2025 Nature Index data, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has maintained its absolute advantage as the world's number one, with a contribution share more than twice that of Harvard University. In the three fields of physics, chemistry, and earth and environmental sciences, Chinese institutions have taken the top three positions globally, while top American universities (such as MIT and Stanford) even fell out of the top 15.

This change stems from China's continuous increase in scientific research investment—China's R&D expenditure increased by 8.7% in 2023, reaching 96% of the US level in purchasing power parity, and government-led R&D investment is 1.6 times that of the US.

Behind the decline in rankings of American research institutions lies an imbalance in the structure of R&D investment and short-sighted policies. In 2023, the US R&D spending increased by only 1.7%, and corporate R&D accounted for as much as 74%, leading to a relative reduction in basic research funding.

China's breakthroughs in key areas, such as AI computing power. This rate of technological catch-up exceeds American expectations. As former U.S. National Security Advisor Jones said, "China's leadership in 5G and AI is as shocking as the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik in 1957."

After the "Sputnik Moment" in 1957, the United States achieved a technological turnaround through the National Defense Education Act and the establishment of NASA. Currently, China faces more complex challenges: not only breaking through technological blockades but also dealing with the restructuring of international rules.

The New York Times' argument is both a warning and an opportunity. China's technological development should not fall into a zero-sum game of "surpassing the United States," but should instead strive to build a more inclusive global innovation network. When China's "Tianwen" Mars rover and the U.S.'s "Perseverance" rover achieve data sharing in the orbit of Mars, perhaps that will be the true historical moment of surpassing the "Sputnik Moment."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1843133375962260/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.