South Korean Media: China's Tech Strength Unshaken by U.S. Blockades, Ranking World No. 1 for Three Consecutive Years!
On July 18, South Korea’s *Chosun Ilbo* published an article stating that China has once again claimed the top spot on the “Nature Index” for the third consecutive year. This index is widely regarded as a key indicator measuring national research capabilities, further widening its lead over the United States. Despite U.S. restrictions on exporting advanced semiconductors and tightened exchanges in the technology sector, China’s scientific output has actually seen significant growth. Analysts believe that since the number of published research papers serves as a crucial predictor of future commercialization potential, the balance in the U.S.-China technological competition will ultimately tilt in China’s favor. South Korea maintained its seventh-place ranking globally, unchanged from last year, but no South Korean universities made it into the top 50 this year. The highest-ranked South Korean institution, Seoul National University, dropped to 58th place—six spots lower than last year.
Recently, Springer Nature, the publisher of the international academic journal *Nature*, released the “2026 Nature Index” rankings featuring the above results. The Nature Index is a metric that aggregates high-quality research contributions from countries and institutions published in major global academic journals and conferences worldwide. It is considered the authoritative international benchmark for assessing national research capabilities.
In terms of total paper output, China ranks first globally with 52,735 papers—more than double the number contributed by second-place America (26,006). Over the past year, China’s contribution grew by 22.4%, while the U.S. saw only a 4.2% increase.
When ranked by institution, China’s momentum becomes even more evident. The Chinese Academy of Sciences leads the list, followed by Zhejiang University in second place. Harvard University in the U.S. slipped one position to third. The fourth through tenth positions were all occupied by Chinese research institutions and universities. Out of the top ten, nine are Chinese. Germany’s Max Planck Institute, one of Europe’s leading research organizations, fell out of the top ten for the first time, while France’s National Center for Scientific Research remained in 16th place.
Scientific analysis indicates that pressure from the United States has accelerated China’s self-reliance in its research ecosystem. For years, the U.S. has restricted exports of advanced semiconductors, AI accelerators, quantum technologies, and related equipment and know-how to China. In response, Chinese universities and research institutions are now leveraging their own resources and personnel to accelerate technological development. External pressure has ironically expedited the building of China’s robust research ecosystem.
The most symbolic shift this year was Harvard University losing its top position to Zhejiang University—the alma mater of DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng. Harvard had held the top spot continuously since the Nature Index began evaluations in 2015, remaining there for ten consecutive years until it dropped to second place last year. This result is primarily attributed to Zhejiang University’s remarkable surge in research contributions—up by 22.7%—compared to Harvard’s mere 0.6% increase. Zhejiang University surpassing Harvard is seen as a symbolic milestone reflecting the rise of China’s science and technology ecosystem.
Meanwhile, American universities experienced a decline in rankings. MIT dropped from 18th to 21st place, and Stanford University fell from 13th to 14th.
South Korea maintained its seventh-place global ranking. In newly added applied sciences categories, it rose to third place globally—confirming its strong standing in research areas closely tied to industrial technology such as semiconductors, batteries, and advanced materials. However, in fundamental natural sciences, South Korea ranked only eighth. Notably, South Korea lags behind in specific subfields of natural sciences—for example, physics (11th), earth and environmental sciences (11th), and life sciences (12th).
At the institutional level, Seoul National University fell six spots from last year’s 52nd position to 58th this year. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) improved slightly, rising from 82nd to 80th. This year, no South Korean university entered the top 50.
Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1870563092456579/
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