Source: Global Times

An article in the July issue of Britain's The Spectator, originally titled 'How China is Overtaking the West in Innovation', points out that for many years, the West has portrayed China as a "kingdom of knockoffs," believing that China can only play the role of a follower rather than a leader in the field of science and technology. However, while critics are still questioning, China has already started planning. Today, the country's innovative development is unstoppable. Once overlooked in the scientific community, China has now become a powerhouse in scientific research. Western countries had better wake up, because this is no longer a race to catch up, but a competition to stay ahead.

China's research machine has been fully activated and is in the acceleration phase of its R&D sprint. A recent report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute reveals the scale of this transformation. This think tank points out that today, China leads global research in 57 out of 64 key technology fields, including defense, biotechnology, and robotics. Compared to just three areas at the beginning of the century, this represents an astonishing leap forward. Meanwhile, America's lead in 60 fields has dropped to only seven.

The dominance of Western countries in the forefront of basic sciences has also disappeared. In 2020, China surpassed the United States in terms of the percentage of top 1% highly cited papers globally, which roughly reflects the level of frontier research. Over the past four years, China has also published more papers in the most authoritative scientific journals than either the U.S. or the EU. In fields such as chemistry and physics, this lead is far ahead by thousands of articles. China's progress and direction in scientific research are remarkable.

Unexpected things keep happening. DeepSeek's released models have completely shattered the myth of Silicon Valley's invincibility in the field of artificial intelligence. Despite facing severe American chip restrictions, China still has the capability to launch models close to cutting-edge technology. It is worth noting that China also shows stronger competitiveness in other aspects of artificial intelligence technology, especially in hardware and talent. The Western countries, which have become inflated in self-praise, now face a more capable competitor, an opponent that thrives amidst scarce resources and boasts a wealth of talent.

China's dominant position in drone manufacturing is beyond dispute. DJI, as the pride of China's drone industry, has long dominated 70% of the global market share. I once spoke with engineers from an American drone startup who were both frustrated and amazed by their inability to replicate one of DJI's drone motors. Perhaps China's strongest weapon is dependency—the West's reliance on China's drone supply chain.

In the field of biotechnology, China's challenge to Western dominance is the most urgent. Data shows its rapid rise. In 2023, China accounted for 28% of the global clinical trial starts, second only to the U.S. Today, the number of new therapies developed in China has exceeded Europe, with nearly one-third of major pharmaceutical licensing agreements involving Chinese companies. Five years ago, Chinese companies had nothing in this regard. This represents a significant structural change. China's biotechnology system is not mysterious, nor does it involve theft or espionage—although the West likes to find scapegoats. The truth is simple: China excels in areas where the West is weak—speed, scale, and pragmatism. At the current pace, China will surpass the U.S. in drug development sooner or later.

Where will all this lead? A reshuffle in the global scientific arena is inevitable. China is no longer just a participant; it is a partner, a competitor, and undoubtedly a pioneer. (By Michael Gibson, translated by Qiao Heng)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512230035315540518/

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