Forbes: China's R&D Spending in Technology Surpasses the United States
According to a report published by Forbes (Japanese edition) on May 24: China's overall technological R&D expenditure has surpassed that of the United States, making it the world leader. This is content from a report compiled by the National Science Board (NSB), which was rejected by the U.S. President in April.
According to the biennial U.S. Science and Engineering Indicators report titled "Science and Engineering Indicators 2026," China’s R&D spending reached $1.03 trillion by 2024—surpassing the United States’ $1.01 trillion for the first time.
This week, Walter Lewin, a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis, expressed concerns before the Senate Appropriations Committee about federal science budget cuts he led in April. The letter was formally adopted by a subcommittee in both chambers as “testimony from external experts.” A letter signed by 3,375 individuals warned that proposed cuts to the fiscal year 2027 federal research budget would “result in the loss of an entire generation of scientific talent,” including 48 Nobel laureates, 30 national award winners, and over 1,500 members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).
The House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will review the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget proposal on June 5. Meanwhile, hearings are currently underway in the Senate.
This marks the second time Professor Lewin and others have written to the Senate since August of last year. The initial letter, signed by approximately 2,000 individuals, warned that budget cuts to research institutions would have “irreversible consequences for the economy, public health, national security, and innovation.” This time, the number of signatories increased by more than 50%, with over 200 new supporters being assistant professors—early-career scientists who are among the first to feel the impact of policy changes.
Mark Hay, an ocean ecologist and NAS member at Georgia Tech, said: “This level of consensus is rare. Scientists dedicate their lives to research. And the target of attack is not just science itself.”
The 2027 government budget includes structural policy changes. Application documents propose cutting NIH funding by 10.8%, including a 28% reduction for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), up to a 15% cut in facilities management fees crucial for maintaining university research infrastructure, and mandatory full implementation within the first year of competitive research grants. The government forecasts that the number of new NIH competitive grants will decrease by 47%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially announced a reduction rate of 3.47%. However, according to Professor Reel’s analysis, 14 CDC programs have already been proposed for elimination amid headlines about the outbreak of the cruise ship Hantavirus and a new Ebola epidemic. In April this year, Trump dismissed all 22 members of the National Science Board (NSB).
The NSB described U.S.-China relations as “a contest between two major powers vying for hegemony,” characterizing it as “not a sprint but a marathon.” It emphasized that maintaining America’s technological edge requires sustained and substantial investment. However, the NSB failed to approve the document due to the dismissal of all its members.
Kevin Stassens, an astrophysicist at Vanderbilt University, was fired midway through her term and told Mavis that the wording used in the document was intentional. “The phrase ‘two powers confronting each other’ is only used when you fall to second place."
The decline in U.S. competitiveness can also be seen in related indicators from the “Science and Engineering Indicators 2026” report. In 2000, China accounted for about 5% of global R&D spending, while the United States held 39%. By 2024, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics ranked first in U.S. patents, surpassing American companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, and IBM, which collectively held 12,220 patents.
The number of startups founded based on technology licenses from U.S. universities has dropped from a peak of 1,125 in 2020 to 951. In 2019, China surpassed the United States in annual awards of STEM doctorates, and the gap continues to widen. China is building “the future of America.”
In 2024, 38% of STEM doctorates awarded by U.S. universities were earned by foreign students. In fields such as computer and information sciences, engineering, and mathematics/statistics, more than half of doctoral recipients were international students. Among those holding science and engineering PhDs in the United States, 46% are foreign-born.
In response to these data, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has proposed cutting its FY2027 budget by 54.7%. If approved, the NSF budget would drop from $8.75 billion to $3.96 billion.
Budget proposals from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) all suggest cuts ranging from 52% to 54%, and completely sever funding for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)—responsible for foundational research and technology development at NOAA. Within the federal government’s overall R&D budget, defense-related spending has increased nearly 80%, while non-defense R&D budgets have decreased by 4%.
Professor from Georgia Tech explained the implications of these figures: “If scientific R&D is put on hold, the United States will regress, forcing competitors like China to build the future our children will inherit.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866035075401802/
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